Sliding Into Antar
by Island Breezes
Summary: On their way back to Antar, Max & the group's ship is knocked off course by a collision with an interdimensional vortex, and they meet 4 lost travelers.
1. Default Chapter

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Roswell is the creation of Melinda Metz, who wrote the books, and Jason Katims, who brought us the TV series. They deserve the credit for the show concept and pre-existing characters, and for any events that occurred during the TV series that might be mentioned here.**

**Sliders is the creation of Tracy Torme and Robert K. Weiss and is in no way my invention either. Its characters just happened to cross the others' paths in this story. You'll see what I mean. Anything else here, for better or worse, including storyline and additional characters, is my own vision and creation. To Melinda, Jason, Tracy, and Robert, a huge thanks for giving us two of the best shows that ever came to television.**

**_Sliding Into Antar_**** is a Roswell fic, but, as the name implies, it also involves the show Sliders in some way and to some extent, beginning with the premise. The exact amount of crossover is yet to be determined at this time. **

**Some background is desirable for understanding this story, so here's the 411…**

**Max and Michael escaped to Antar years before when Kivar destroyed the earth while trying to kill them. Liz and Maria, as well as almost everyone else, died in the end of the world. Max and Michael changed that by going back in time six years later and saving them and the earth. After that, they all lived on Antar together, had children, and had lots of adventures, which are detailed in the other books of the Altered Time series. One of those adventures took them into an alternate dimension to save Liz's younger double there after she came to them in a vision asking for help. But when they got ready to leave that dimension and return home, things went awry… big time! So that's it. That's the background. That's all you get… for now. But read on!**

**_Sliding Into Antar_**** is part of the Altered Time series. Chronologically, it takes place right after _The Night The Dreams Died_ and right before Chapter 67 (Out Of A Nightmare) of _The Four Faces Of Rath_. It is certainly possible to enjoy this story even if you have never read any of the other stories of this series. But… then you may want to know what came before it and after it. **

**Happy reading!**

**Gerry **


	2. Chapter 01

**SLIDING ****INTO ANTAR**

**Crash**

**Chapter 1**

**I**

"Can't touch this!

Can't touch this!  
My my my my music hits me so hard

Makes me say Oh my Lord  
Thank you for blessing me with a mind to rhyme

And two hyped feet

Feels good when you know you're down…  
Can't touch this  
Look man u can't touch this  
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh…"

Liz finally totally lost it, dissolving into hysterical laughter, and Maria actually snorted the Snapples she was sipping, as they watched Max and Kyle perform their rousing duo version of the MC Hammer hit while offering up a their best spirited rendition of Hammer's dance style."

Michael leaned back in his co-pilot's chair and closed his eyes, a smile on his face. After six weeks on a rescue mission in an alternate dimension, they were finally going home… The very thought made everyone smile; and the truth is, everyone was feeling a little giddy…

Maybe some more than others…

"Can't touch this! Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh  
Stop!

Hammer time!  
Oh-oh oh oh oh-oh-oh… Stop!

Hammer time!  
Can't touch this!"

"Don't you guys know anything by Metallica?" Michael asked, shaking his head.

Max and Kyle stopped dancing…

"Well… what would you like to hear," asked Kyle.

"How about… Nothing Else Matters?"

"Don't know it."

"Okay, then, how about… Enter Sandman?"

"How does it go?"

Michael shook his head and sighed…

"Hush little baby, don't say a word  
And never mind that noise you heard  
It's just the beast under your bed,  
In your closet, in your head

Exit light, Enter night  
Grain of sand

Exit light, Enter night  
Take my hand

We're off to never-never land."

"Oh yeah. I heard that before. How does the other one go," Kyle asked.

Michael picked up two long wooden pointers and started to pound out a drumbeat on the console in front of him…

"So close no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trusting who we are  
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way  
Life is ours, we live it our way  
All these words I don't just say  
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say  
Never cared for games they play  
Never cared for what they do  
Never cared for what they know  
And I know

So close no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trusting who we are  
No nothing else matters…"

Michael stopped, and Liz, Tess, and Maria applauded.

"That was good, Michael," Tess encouraged… "Sing some more!"

Michael grinned and shook his head. "I can't sing. Let Max and Kyle entertain you. They're enjoying themselves." As if to punctuate his remark, Michael rapped, "Can't touch this! Can't touch this!" and Liz and Maria dissolved into hysterics all over again.

"Well, it wasn't all that funny," Kyle said.

Tess nodded, sniffling… "It was, Kyle. Trust me. It was!"

Ever since the Antarian mothership, the New Granolith, left Antar in Dimension Y, there had been an almost party-like atmosphere onboard. The work and the worries were over. The rescue had been a total and unqualified success. With nothing to do now but relax and enjoy the ride home, normally restrained personalities gave way to personalities rarely seen in other times, as inhibitions disappeared and everyone seemed to just enjoy the moment.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it all changed.

Michael leaned back in his seat, and the girls were coaxing Max and Kyle to dance again, when the ship suddenly lurched violently and veered sharply off its trajectory. This sent Max and Kyle sprawling to the floor, along with Liz, Maria, and Tess. Thrown almost completely out of his seat, Michael rolled back quickly and raised the seat to its upright position, then he looked out the huge fore window of the New Granolith…

"What the frikkin' galaxies was that? Did we hit something?"

Max was already beside him in the pilot's seat. The party atmosphere that had prevailed only moments before was gone. A few seconds later, Varec, Max's chief science officer and Antar's most revered scientist, ran into the room and stood beside Max and Michael. He was followed by Alex and Isabel, who had been in the arboretum.

As they searched the void of space outside the ship for any evidence of what had happened, Max noticed that the air in the control room seemed to be thinning, as though it were being sucked out of the room. What happened next was so unexpected that no one had a chance to do anything but stand there, speechless. A large vortex opened up… inside the ship… right there on the bridge. Immediately, the air that had just been sucked out of the room poured back in through the vortex… and something else came with it. First, a girl fell out, then, a young man. He was followed by an older man and another man.

Max and Michael had the four covered before they even got up or knew what had happened to them.

"Who are you," Michael asked, holding the palm of his hand out, prepared to defend himself and the ship. "What was that… thing… you came out of?"

The four newcomers looked around with a clearly puzzled look, as though they were trying to figure out the answers to the same questions themselves. The younger man stood up then helped the girl and the older man up, as the third man brushed himself off and checked to make sure that he still had everything he should have… two arms, two legs… hands… fingers. He seemed satisfied. Then he gazed out the window at the stars drifting by in the void of space…

"Uh, Cue Ball, you'd better look at this. That's not L.A. out there, man. Where are we?"

The younger man looked down at a remote control type device in his hand then looked out the ship's window. "I don't know, Rem. If I had to guess, I'd say the timer had a malfunction."

"A malfunction!" the other man exclaimed. "That's like saying that the Pacific Ocean is just a fish pond!" He gazed out the window again.

"What do we do now, Quinn," the girl asked, putting one hand on the young man's arm.

"Yes, that WOULD appear to be the question, wouldn't it," the older man said with a vaguely British-like accent. Then he walked over and stood facing Max and Michael…

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Maximillian Arturo, at your service. My colleagues are Miss Wade Welles, Mister Rembrandt Brown, and Mister Quinn Mallory."

"Another Maximillian?" Kyle mused. "Can I stand it?"

"I'm 'Crying Man,'" the first man said.

"Well… two Maxes isn't that bad," Kyle mumbled apologetically.

"No… I mean, I'm Rembrandt 'Crying Man' Brown."

"Oh." Kyle nodded.

"Remmy is a singer," the girl said. "He had a group called 'The Spinning Tops,' and after that, he had a solo record called 'Topless' that went gold. He's good."

The man smiled, seeming genuinely surprised by Wade's comment. "Thanks, Wade."

Meanwhile, Varec had been staring, fixated, at the remote control-like device in Quinn Mallory's hand, and without announcing his intentions, he walked over and reached for it. Mallory immediately pulled his hand, and the device, back.

"I just wanted to see it," Varec said. "I don't want to take it from you… not permanently."

"You can see it in my hand," Mallory said, obviously protective of the device he had called a 'timer.' "It doesn't leave my hand."

"That must make it hard to eat… or sleep… or bathe," Varec said.

Mallory nodded. "That's my problem, I guess." Then he relaxed just a bit… "I don't hold it all the time. But I don't let other people mess with it. It's delicate."

"Is that what brought you here," Varec asked.

Max and Michael looked surprised. It hadn't occurred to them that the small device in Mallory's hand might have had any part in his being here; but Max and Michael knew that if Varec thought it did, there was probably something to it.

"Let me see the device," Michael said, holding out his hand.

"Don't even try," Mallory warned, adopting a defensive stance.

Suddenly, with no warning, a small bolt of energy erupted from Michael's palm, hitting Mallory on the shoulder. The device in his hand fell to the floor, and Michael had it before Mallory realized what had happened. Michael handed it to Varec.

"You think this thing had something to do with whatever's going on here?"

Varec looked at the device carefully, as Mallory rubbed his shoulder. Mallory was clearly unhappy but decided that a direct attack on someone who could paralyze his nerves with taser-like bolts from the palm of his hand was probably a bad idea. There would be other opportunities to get the device back… if he was vigilant.

Varec took Mallory's timer and left the control room.

"Don't worry," Michael said, "You'll get it back."

"But he doesn't know what he has there," Mallory said dejectedly. "He could damage it… or…"

"Or what," Michael asked.

Quinn just shook his head.

"We're not your enemies," Liz said, looking at Quinn Mallory then at each of the others in turn… "We would like to help you if you let us."

Wade looked at Mallory and nodded. "I think we should tell them, Quinn."

Mallory sighed. "The device is a timer. It counts down the time we have left before the vortex will open again. When it does, we have to be there if we're going to slide."

"Slide?" Alex asked, puzzled.

Mallory nodded. "The vortex takes us to parallel words. We're trying to find our way home… to our own world again."

"You don't know where it is?" Maria gasped. "Omigod, that's so… Omigod…"

Wade smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"We're going home, too," Liz said. "We've been in an alternate dimension for the last six weeks. Fortunately, we know how to get back home, though."

"Lucky you," Remmy laughed, "I wish we did."

"Maybe Varec can help you," Maria suggested. "He's the smartest person I know."

"Does he know anything about the Eisen-Rosenberg bridge to other gateways," Mallory asked.

Maria looked at him blankly… "The what?"

Mallory smiled. "I didn't think so."

"Quinn's kind of a genius," Wade said. "If he can't figure something out, it usually can't be done."

"So is Varec," Isabel said. "I'd put Varec up against Quinn anytime… or anyone else."

"You say the device is a timer," Max asked. "How long till it reaches zero?"

"Forty-three minutes… then we have to slide," Quinn replied. "You see why I have to get the timer back soon."

Max nodded. "Let's go see Varec."

Max led the group down the hall to Varec's lab and placed his hand over the handprint on the wall by the door. The door slid open. Quinn looked around the room and imediately spotted Varec at his workbench. Then he saw something else, and all the color drained out of his face. On the workbench sat the timer, carefully separated into over eighty small parts of all sizes and shapes.

tbc


	3. Chapter 02

**Sliding Into Antar**

**A Timer For Disaster**

**Chapter 2**

**II**

**R****embrandt Brown found Quinn Mallory sitting in the hallway of the ship, his head buried in his hands. He had all the appearance of having surrendered and given up, but Remmy knew better. Quinn was thinking… making calculations in his mind even as he sat there against the wall, his head in his hands, looking lost and dejected.**

**"C****ome on, Cue Ball… cheer up, man. What's the worst that could happen? We miss one slide, right? So we get to spend a little time on this ship, checkin' things out. Seems like a trade-off to me. Besides, they know where they're going. We don't even know where our next slide will take us. I mean, look where we wound up this time!"**

**Quinn Mallory took a deep breath and lifted his face from his hands momentarily.**

**"You don't understand, Rem. Missing the slide screws everything up. I'll have to recalibrate the timer to see when another vortex will open up here… if one ever will."**

**"Well, I don't know, man. You said yourself that the timer was malfunctioning. If it was workin' right, that'd be L.A. out there, not a bunch of stars and planets and empty space."**

**Quinn nodded reluctantly. He knew that Rembrandt was right, but it was still hard to admit it. **

**Rembrandt held out his hand…**

**"Come on. Let's go talk to E.T. and see if he can put your timer back together again."**

**Back in Varec's lab, meanwhile, Max and Michael, along with Professor Arturo, Wade, and most of the crew from the ship watched as Varec reassembled the timer, piece by piece. It seemed a daunting task, if not impossible. Some of the screws and parts were so tiny that they were hard to see, and some of the smaller parts were pre-manufactured and not meant to come apart, but that had not stopped Varec, whose curiosity was all but legendary in the Antarian star system.**

**Varec replaced the back of the timer and tightened the last screw. Then he held the completed unit up for inspection just as Quinn and Remmy walked back into the room. Quinn rushed to take the timer back and checked it over carefully, almost as though it were a kidnapped baby being returned to its mother. But one could see in his eyes that he felt a great deal of awe and wonder at seeing it back together again so quickly. The truth is, he had expected to have to put it back together himself and had estimated, in his own mind, that the task would take the better part of a day, given all the tiny parts that Varec had disassembled… more than eighty in all.**

**"Is it working," Wade asked. "We've still got time to make the slide in four minutes."**

**Quinn shook his head. "I… I can't be completely sure. Now it says that our next slide is at… 10:03 AM tomorrow."**

**Remmy looked at his watch. "What happened to the slide four minutes from now?"**

**Quinn shrugged.**

**"I made some adjustments to the computational modem in your timer," Varec said.**

**Quinn looked shocked. "Did you take into consideration the Eisen-…"**

**Varec stopped him. "Are you familiar with the Or'zyn-Kort'yyc-Styas'vor theory of refractive recurring space holes?"**

**Quinn shook his head.**

**Varec smiled ever so slightly. "I didn't think so. You've been traveling through space holes all this time and you've never taken into consideration the Or'zyn-Kort'yyc-Styas'vor theory of refractive recurring space holes?"**

**Quinn shrugged. "I guess so."**

**Varec shook his head. "Amazing."**

**"Maybe it's the same thing as the Eisen-Rosenberg theory of bridges between worlds… or whatever…" Wade said. "It could be, you know."**

**The professor nodded, seeming pleased with Wade's observation.**

**"It seems to be a variant," Varec admitted. "Your theory is valid, but it appears that it fails to take into consideration the variant curve of recurring space hole fracture episodes."**

**"Just my luck, the first alien I meet and he talks like Quinn," Rembrandt said. "What does all that mean in English?" **

**"No… no… it makes sense," Quinn said, holding up his hand. "I understand what he's saying. Don't you see?" He looked at Professor Arturo, and the professor nodded cautiously…**

**"I believe I do. Amazing! Absolutely incredible! I should have seen it myself."**

**Quinn looked at the timer again and smiled. "We have until 10:03 AM tomorrow before we slide."**

**"All right!" Rembrandt exclaimed, appearing more than a little relieved at not having to slide again in what was now less than two minutes.**

**"If we had slid with the timer like it was before… two minutes from now," Wade said, looking back and forth between Quinn and Varec, "What would have happened?"**

**Quinn thought about it and swallowed, then he looked at the professor, who seemed unsure.**

**"You would have come out right… here," Varec said, putting his finger on a point on a space map above his workbench.**

**"I don't see a planet there," Professor Arturo said, looking closely at the map.**

**"There's not one," Varec replied.**

**"Oh." Professor Arturo swallowed. "Then it would seem, Mister Varec, that we all owe you our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude."**

**Varec smiled. "It was nothing."**

**"Nothing to you maybe," Rembrandt said, laughing nervously, "But it means a whole lot to me, I want you to know! I guess you guys saved our skin. I really appreciate that. I'm kind of intimately attached to mine, you know what I mean?"**

**Michael chuckled and nodded.**

**"Well, I want to thank you, too," Wade said, giving Varec then each of the others in turn a quick hug.**

**"I guess I'll make it unanimous," Quinn said, with a nod to Varec, "I probably seemed aloof and a bit… you know… back there before, but it's just that nobody else understands this stuff except the professor and me… and Bennish. But I've got a feeling you could teach me a few things."**

**Wade rolled her eyes at the mention of Quinn's decidedly socially challenged and unconventional, if admittedly genius friend, Bennish, back on their world.**

**"There is one thing, though," the professor said," I wonder if you would mind telling me where you obtained those amazing harem pants."**

**"Yeah, I like those myself," Remmy said, keeping an almost straight face. **

**Max and Kyle both looked down and realized that they had forgotten to change them back. Max touched his pants, and the Hammer harem pants reverted instantly to his usual style.**

**Kyle waited… "Come on Max! You know I can't do it! Don't leave me hanging here. This is embarrassing." **

**Michael grinned. "NOW you think so. I told you guys you should have done Metallica."**

**tbc**


	4. Chapter 03

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Friends In Strange Places**

**Chapter 3**

**III**

**I****t was getting to be dinnertime on the New Granolith, and the next sliding vortex would not open until the following morning, so Max and Liz led their guests to the dining area on the second floor, where some of the others were already beginning to gather.**

**No one in Quinn's group had thought much about eating until now, but the mention of food brought out that empty feeling in their stomachs and made it suddenly the topic of the moment.**

**"Our food is a bit different than you might be accustomed to," Liz said, "But it's good. I'm sure you'll like it."**

**Rembrandt laughed. "That's okay. I don't care what it looks like. If it can be chewed and it fills the empty place in my stomach, I'll eat it. I just realized that we missed lunch today, and I'm definitely hungry. Cue Ball, you've really got to calibrate that thing to dump us out in Micky D's after each slide, man. It would save so much trouble."**

**Quinn smiled but didn't reply.**

**Max motioned toward the large dining table…**

**"Sit wherever you'd like. There are no assigned places."**

**"Right here looks fine to me," Wade said, starting to sit down. Professor Arturo politely pulled out the chair for her then sat down himself in the seat next to her. Quinn took the seat on the other side of Wade, and Rembrandt sat next to Quinn.**

**Once they were all seated, the little diner droid came in. It looked around momentarily then rolled over to the Professor… **

**"What would you like to eat tonight?" **

**Professor Arturo seemed amused, as he looked the little droid over. "Well, I'm not quite sure, my good fellow. Your food is a mystery to me, as I have not yet had the occasion to try any of it. Would you mind running down the list for me?"**

**"He wants to know what you've got," Rembrandt said with a grin.**

**"It's a robotic entity… a machine," the professor said. "It does not require exhaustive explanations, as some PEOPLE do… I will spare you the embarrassment of mentioning any names. I am quite certain that it understands proper English."**

**Rembrandt chuckled, and the droid proceeded to reply to the professor's question… "We have boneless rib of shebble, which can be served flame-broiled or wrapped in Ama leaves. We also have blue hen eggs, which can be served poached, fried, scrambled, or in an omelet with a sauce of detoxified Guma fungi with pashita toast. We have Grelligo soup, which is the specialty of the Grelligo region on Antar. We have fillet of Golden Sea Pargi, and we have Jarlagos-Droozeen. Some of the members of this crew call them Golden Sea pink-ringed crustaceans. With any of these entrées, you can have jir-bada, sereli-harlat, detoxified guma fungi, min-jaht-gojosh, boiled crushed Ama leaves, kernels of Een-Gelish Yyers, purée of Japo-Bala, or golden grelliats."**

**The professor thought for a moment. "What do you recommend?"**

**"I do not eat food, so I am not capable of making a recommendation, but I have been told that it is all very good… and nourishing."**

**"Well, there you are then," the professor said with a smile. "Bring me… the Golden Sea crustaceans."**

**"Very well, sir," the droid replied courteously. "What would you like with them?"**

**"Just bring whatever seems… appropriate… with Golden Sea crustaceans."**

**"What's a shebble," Rembrandt asked.**

**"It looks like kind of a cross between a longhorn steer and a yak," Max said. "It's big, but it has really long hair that reaches almost to the ground."**

**"Can you make hamburgers then?"**

**"I can bring you pashita bread with boneless shebble rib," the droid replied.**

**Rembrandt nodded. "What are jir-badas?"**

**"Bada tubors. I have been told that they are not unlike what you call potatoes."**

**"Oh! Okay, I'll have fries then."**

**"Fried what, sir?"**

**"Potatoes… jir-badas."**

**The droid moved over to Wade.**

**"My turn, huh? Okay, I'll have an omelet with those eggs you mentioned? And a bowl of the Earl Grey soup."**

**"Grelligo soup," Tess said, correcting Wade with an amused but friendly smile.**

**"Will that be all?" the droid queried.**

**Wade nodded.**

**The droid rolled over to Quinn next.**

**"Oo-kay! Let's see, you said boneless rib. I'll have that. And I haven't the slightest idea what any of those veggies are, so bring me the detoxified guma things and the golden grelliats. I'm adventurous."**

**"Ooh, when did that start," Remmy asked, his voice abounding with teasing but apropos sarcasm.**

**The droid went around the table and took everyone else's orders, then it turned and glided quietly back to the food preparation room.**

**Quinn watched intently, with a keen curiosity, then he turned to Varec…**

**"An artificial intelligence life form! Did you build him?" **

**Varec smiled humbly. "I had a hand in creating him. My colleagues at the lab assisted me."**

**Quinn shook his head in wonder. "I'd give anything to have enough time to discuss him with you. Artificial intelligence is so amazing."**

**"Yes, there is hope for Bennish after all," the professor deadpanned.**

**Wade closed her eyes but smiled.**

**"Conrad Bennish, Jr. is a prodigy," Quinn insisted, in defense of his unconventional friend back on his own world. Both Bennish and Mallory had taken classes with Professor Arturo.**

**"Genius or not, he's defective," the professor asserted with great certainty. "I said it before… if I ever get back home, I'm going to dedicate my life to isolating the gene that makes him so obnoxious, and I will destroy it."**

**"You don't like the guy much, do you," Isabel chuckled.**

**"He and the professor don't get along very well," Wade said, "They're fire and ice."**

**"THAT is an understatement, Miss Welles."**

**Everybody laughed.**

**"So, Quinn… Mallory, is it?" Alex asked. Quinn nodded, as he took an approving bite of pashita bread. "You invented this device that takes you to different dimensions?"**

**Quinn nodded again. "Yeah. But we always end up in L.A… except this time. Anyway, always before, we landed in L.A., just in a different dimension."**

**"I guess you've seen a lot of things then," Alex said.**

**Rembrandt laughed and nodded emphatically. "You ever been on a planet that was in its new ice age and had to run from a gigantic ice tornado bigger than anything you've ever seen before, but you find out that you don't slide for another hour?"**

**"That happened to you?" Tess asked. **

**Wade nodded her head, as she raised a spoonful of the Grelligo soup that the droid had just put in front of her to her mouth. "Mmmm! This is good! Yes. We did go to an ice world once. I think it was our first slide. We climbed into Remmy's car with him to try to get warm, and he couldn't figure out why it had got so cold all of a sudden and his car was locked in a snowbank in L.A., because he didn't know anything about the timer or us. He was just driving by Quinn's house on his way to sing the National Anthem at the half time show of a ball game, and he got caught in the vortex with us."**

**"I did try to warn Mister Mallory that he was using too much power," the professor said.**

**"Did you meet your doubles on any of the other worlds you've been on," Liz asked.**

**"The professor got to work with Bennish on one of them," Quinn said with a grin.**

**"And he was every bit as obnoxious as the original," the professor said, taking a drink of jubish. "By the way, I must compliment you on this wine. It is quite good. It has a pleasant taste… and a very pleasant bouquet."**

**"Thank you, on behalf of Antar," Max said.**

**"You should have tasted Farj," Michael said quietly.**

**"What was that," Professor Arturo asked.**

**Michael chuckled. "It was supposed to be a soft drink… I think. We found it on Antar when we got there. It tasted like old, stale root beer."**

**"But it was better than Hargoch," Max said, grinning.**

**Michael laughed and nodded. "Hargoch is the Ghors' 'premium' wine. It has a reputation among the Ghors for tasting as good the second time you drink it as it did the first time."**

**Maria slapped Michael on the arm and put her hand over her eyes.**

**"It's true," Max said, agreeing with Michael.**

**"I know," Maria conceded, "But you didn't have to say it."**

**"We had some," Michael said, "Max and I did… on the Ghors' planet, Ghorbidfael. We were on an undercover mission."**

**"I still haven't forgiven Shag for that either," Maria said.**

**"What else have you seen that's unusual," Isabel asked. **

**"On one planet, Wade won the lottery," Rembrandt said.**

**"Really?" Maria exclaimed. That's great! How much did she win?"**

**"The winner was awarded the honor of being the next person to be executed for the benefit of population control," Professor Arturo said. "It was presumed to be a great honor."**

**"Omigod," Maria exclaimed, shocked, "That's awful! I guess you left that world quickly."**

**Quinn shook his head. "We had to rescue Wade. It didn't look very hopeful for awhile."**

**"Oh! And there was this one world where Remmy was bigger than Elvis," Wade said. "The people practically worshipped him."**

**"I'm surprised you didn't stay there," Michael said.**

**"Yeah…" Rembrandt sighed, remembering his moment of greatest fame fondly. "I almost did. But there was this one little catch. I was supposed to be dead on that world… like the king, you know? When I showed up, all alive and everything, there was all this celebrating, and it was great for a while. Then we found out that my double from that world wasn't really dead. He was just hiding and pretending to be dead. And he wanted to stay that way. That meant getting killed again. Guess who he had in mind for that."**

**"Didn't you ever go to some dimension and find a world that just seemed perfect and want to stay there," Liz asked.**

**Wade nodded. "One world seemed really perfect, but the timer only gave us one day there. We didn't know enough about it to make a decision to stay in that short a time. On another world, we really thought we were home. Everything seemed the same. The professor went back to work at the university. Everybody was happy. But then there was this one little thing that let us know it wasn't our world. The Golden Gate Bridge was actually gold colored. We thought about staying there anyway, but… well… Then on another world, we thought we were home again, and Quinn was eating breakfast with his mom when his dad walked in."**

**"What's wrong with that," Maria asked.**

**"Quinn's father is dead."**

**"Oh."**

**"But he could have stayed there with his mom, and his dad would be alive again. It seems perfect," Isabel said.**

**"But what happens if my double from that world ever comes back," Quinn asked. "It's his world, not mine. That's the point really. It's not mine."**

**The others at the table all nodded, understanding Quinn's feelings.**

**"What were YOU doing out of your own dimension," Wade asked Liz. "I'd like to hear what brought you guys here."**

**"It's the first time for us," Liz said. "We never traveled between dimensions before. We weren't even sure that other dimensions existed until my younger double appeared to my daughter in some dreams and seemed to be hurt. Then she and Alex's double came through to our dimension somehow using the orbs, and they told us that they needed help. So that's why we're here. We came to help them. It's a long story, but at their high school graduation, their Max, Michael, Isabel, and Maria… and my double, Liz, were shot by special agents from a secret FBI unit who hunt down aliens and then dissect them in cooperation with a shadowy army group."**

**Wade looked pale. "You mean… this happened on earth?"**

**"Yeah," Liz said, nodding. "We all grew up on earth. Well… except Varec and Rayylar. They were born on Antar. Max and Michael are half Antarian. So are Isabel and Tess."**

**"I knew they weren't like us," the professor said, "When they changed their pants like that."**

**"Well, actually, some of us are only from earth," Liz said. "I am. So is Maria… and Alex… We just married little green aliens." Liz gave Max a playful but endearing smile. **

**"I was abducted," Maria said, taking a sip of Grelligo soup.**

**"Really?" Wade asked.**

**Maria smiled. "Yeah. Okay, Michael abducted my heart. But I have to go where my heart goes, right?"**

**Wade nodded and cast a quick sidewise glance at Quinn, then she smiled and took another sip of her soup. Liz smiled, too, noticing the look in Wade's eyes. It was clear to one who could recognize it, even if it was undeclared.**

**"So were you able to help your doubles," Remmy asked.**

**"Yeah." Michael said, "We were."**

**"That's good. I guess you guys had to hide from the FBI, too, huh?"**

**Max nodded. "We kept our secret very close, you know what I mean? We told no one."**

**"Until Max went and saved Liz's life after she got shot by a common thug in her dad's restaurant," Michael said. "At first, I was kind of pissed. Well, scared would be more accurate. I know that now. I felt like everything was going to come down around us right there."**

**"It must have been really hard trying to live like that," Wade said.**

**"It was sometimes," Isabel admitted. "But we all survived it. We went back to our planet, took it back from the tyrant who had taken it from Max before, and put Max back on the throne. I can't complain…" Isabel looked at Alex, who had reached over to hold her hand under the table, and she smiled. "We all got something good for our experience and time on earth."**

**Wade looked back and forth at Isabel and Alex, Liz and Max, Michael and Maria and the others, and she smiled.**

**"Have you met a lot of weird aliens from other planets," Rembrandt asked. "You guys look just like us. Do little green men really exist anywhere?"**

**Max smiled. "I don't remember any little green men… unless you count Frebel-Ish, but he can make himself anything."**

**"But we've seen a lot stranger," Michael said. "We rescued these kids who were little puffy gas balls and some others that looked like ferns and just floated in the wind. The Ghors had kidnapped them."**

**"You mentioned the Ghors before," Wade said. "What are they?"**

**"Nasty," Maria said simply.**

**Liz laughed and nodded. **

**"They're nine-foot tall reptilians," Alex said. "Some of them have hair and scales, others just have tufts of hair here and there on their scales. They're grayish, ugly, and incredibly stinky."**

**Liz nodded vigorously, and Maria smiled and nodded her own agreement.**

**"The Ghors were slavers," Jim said, joining in the conversation for the first time. "It was how most of them made their living… kidnapping children throughout the galaxy and selling them."**

**"For slaves?" Wade asked.**

**Jim nodded. "Slaves… exotic pets… exotic foods…"**

**"Omigod," Wade whispered, recoiling at the thought.**

**"Well, we don't have to worry about the Ghors anymore," Liz said. "Shag sent them and their whole planet to a place so far away in the galaxy that they couldn't get back even in a hundred years at the fastest light speed."**

**Quinn looked up, his interest suddenly piqued. "This guy, Shag… he can move a planet?"**

**Liz nodded. "He used the sphere of the portal. The spheres were his to begin with… before I got them."**

**"So… does that mean you could move a planet," Rembrandt asked.**

**Liz thought about it. "I don't know. I wouldn't want to. Shag didn't want to either, but the Ghors gave him no choice. It was the best solution to the problem, so he did it. Shag isn't really his name. It's Zasharn Shaqor Niseel Vredis Davor. He's the king of his planet, Xarius. Zasharn means king. His first name is Shaqor, so Maya, his wife, nicknamed him 'Shag,' and we usually call him that, too, for short."**

**"Good thinking," Rembrandt said.**

**"Shag and Maya are over ten thousand years old," Maria said, taking another sip of soup.**

**"But they don't look it," Liz hurried to add. "They look about forty maybe. People on their planet age slowly."**

**"I'd like to know their secret," Wade laughed.**

**Liz smiled and nodded. "It's in the genes, I think."**

**For the next hour, everyone in the two groups enjoyed themselves and got to know each other over dinner; and there were many compliments on the food, which everyone agreed, was superb. Max and Michael weren't quite sure why they had opened up so much to these relative strangers, but somewhere, deep inside, they both felt that they and their unexpected guests shared a lot in common… Both groups were now interdimensional travelers with problems that most people could only imagine… Both groups had met and dealt with strange peoples and customs… Both groups had escaped dangers and lived in peril for their lives. The only thing that was maybe different about them was that Max and Michael knew how to get home; their friends didn't. **

**But Max and Michael never imagined how alike their fates could become.**

**tbc**


	5. Chapter 04

**Sliding Into Antar**

**And Stranger Things**

**Chapter 4**

**IV**

**The ****New Granolith was, in many ways, a small city in space. It had all the comforts that a mother ship could be expected to have… and probably a few more… on seven different levels. Level 1, the lowest level, contained the cargo and storage bay. It was also where the off-ship vehicles were kept and where the "pod room" was located, a special, watertight room that housed a small submarine, which Michael had christened the "Maria Mia." **

**Level 2 was the galley and dining room area. **

**Level 3 housed the living quarters; and at the end of the corridor on that level, there was a lounge with video games, a TV, and various other sources of entertainment. **

**Level 4 was the bridge and control deck, with the pilots' consoles and seats. This level also housed all the critical flight control equipment as well as the internal components of the engines. **

**Level 5 consisted entirely of a series of interconnected gardens, where many of the vegetables eaten onboard were grown. The gardens also sported many beautiful flowers and walking paths, one of which led to a small waterfall and a deep pond that was often used for swimming. **

**Level 6 was the arboretum. The trees in the arboretum supplied all the oxygen needed for interplanetary travel. There was a long path through the trees that began and ended at the same place, so there was no need to turn around and return the way one had come. It had been designed to meander back and forth through the park, giving the stroller the maximum possible walking distance, about a mile and a half. Approximately in the center of the arboretum, there was a gazebo with a swing, and further along on the trail, there was a small clearing where one could lie down by a clear little brook that provided water to the trees, have a picnic, or swing on a two-person swing suspended by vines from high up in one of the trees.**

**Level 7, the uppermost level of the ship, was the observatory, a bubble-shaped domed room with a 360-degree view of space. Among other things, the observatory boasted a couple of comfortable sofas for relaxing and watching the stars zip by and two special seats for remote viewing with RV goggles. The observatory was Michael and Maria's favorite getaway place on the ship. It also happened to be Isabel and Alex's favorite getaway place, so the two couples often competed to see who could get there first and claim it or had to agree to "schedule" their use of it… if they wanted to guarantee their privacy. From the observatory, one could watch the stars zip by as the ship sped along on its journey through the cosmos.**

**After dinner, Max and Liz had shown their four visitors to the rooms where they would be spending the night so that they could relax and freshen up. Then Liz, Maria, Isabel, Alex, and Tess had offered to show them around the ship. Max had given the visitors pretty much complete access to the ship, except for the control areas on level four… and even there, as long as they were accompanied by Max, Michael, Jim, or another crew member.**

**"Have you seen Quinn?" Rembrandt asked Tess, who happened to be nearby as he emerged from his room.**

**"I think he's down the hall… playing pool with Rayylar."**

**Rembrandt laughed. "That'd be Cue Ball! You got a pool room, huh?"**

**"It's more like a game room," Tess said. "Come on. I'll show you where it is."**

**Tess led Rembrandt to the lounge and pointed toward the pool table, where Quinn and Tess' husband, Rayylar, were playing. They watched, as Quinn chalked up the end of his cue stick again. **

**"Hey, Cue Ball! You gonna go see some of the ship with me?"**

**"Yeah… sure… in a little while, Remmy."**

**Rembrandt chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Don't get between Cue Ball and a good game of pool. Okay, I'll go see it. You can see it when you get ready."**

**Quinn nodded, carefully aiming and sinking the four ball into the side pocket, as Rayylar watched.**

**Tess smiled and shook her head. "I'll show you around if you'd like."**

**"Yeah… That'd be nice."**

**"What would you like to see?"**

**"Ummm… well, what's a good place to see?" **

**"How about the arboretum?"**

**"Yeah! That sounds good. That means trees, right? Like… Arbor Day… arboretum?"**

**Tess nodded. "That's where all the oxygen for the ship comes from. It's a park with lots and lots of trees… kind of a little forest right here on the ship."**

**As they stepped out of the ascension chamber on the sixth level, Rembrandt saw that there was a meandering path through some rather substantial deep woods in front of him. **

**"Are you sure we're on a ship out in space, Tess? This is incredible," Rembrandt said, looking all around him at the trees and forest-like growth, as the two of them walked along the path.**

**Tess smiled and nodded.**

**They had just passed the mid-way point and the gazebo about a thousand feet back, when Rembrandt felt a cold, moist something touch his hand and sniff, then lick the back of his neck and all the way up the back of his head, standing his hair on end. Tess was several steps ahead of him on the trail, so it obviously hadn't been her. Slowly, Rembrandt turned around to look behind him. **

**His eyes opened wide, and he wheezed once. Every instinct in his body screamed "run," but then he remembered Tess. Without a word, which he would have been unable to utter at that moment anyway, Remmy scooped Tess up over his shoulder and ran, as fast as his legs would carry him, all the way to the end of the path. There, he quickly sat Tess down, wheezing and gasping for breath.**

**"Are you okay?" Tess asked.**

**"It's a… It's a…" Rembrandt pointed back down the trail with a shaky finger. "Lady, you've got something WILD runnin' around loose in here! It has big… huge… fangs or something. It looks like a saber tooth tiger!"**

**Tess giggled then broke out laughing.**

**"I don't know why that's funny," Remmy gasped.**

**"That's just Jung-Jo."**

**"Who?"**

**"Jung-Jo. He's a pet." Tess turned around to find Jung-Jo waiting patiently next to the ascension chamber. He had gone the other way and had beat them both back, but until this moment, Rembrandt hadn't seen him sitting there.**

**Tess patted Jung-Jo on the head and ran her hand down his back. "He's really just a big friendly puddy tat… if he likes you."**

**"That's what worries me," Rembrandt said, backing away cautiously. "How do I know he likes me?"**

**"Because he hasn't eaten you yet," Tess replied matter-of-factly."**

**"YET? He could swallow us both and not even have to burp," Rembrandt protested.**

**Tess laughed, taking Rembrandt by the hand. "Come here. Touch him. He won't hurt you."**

**Rembrandt cautiously reached his arm out as far as it would go and patted Jung-Jo on the head, then he smiled.**

**"Yeah… Yeah, he is kind of friendly, isn't he? You know, that gives me an idea. Does he have to stay here in the arboretum all the time?"**

**Tess shook her head. "Actually, Jung-Jo kind of comes and goes as he wishes. You never know where he'll be."**

**"Do you think I could borrow him… just for a little while?"**

**Tess shrugged. "Ask him if he'll go with you."**

**Rembrandt swallowed and patted Jung-Jo on the head again. "You want to come meet someone, Jung-Jo?"**

**The cat stood up.**

**"I guess he's okay with it," Tess said.**

>>>>>> 

**Quinn had the three ball, the two ball, and the six ball in his sights. He had carefully calculated each ball's trajectory. If he hit the cue ball just right, it would drop the three ball into the far left corner pocket, the two ball into the left side pocket, and the six ball would rebound twice before dropping neatly into the right corner pocket nearest to him. Quinn bent down and rechecked the line of sight. Then, seeing that everything was perfect, he carefully drew the cue stick back…**

**Rayylar saw Rembrandt and Tess come in, and he saw Jung-Jo with them, but he was so accustomed to having the big cat around all the time that it didn't faze him. He showed no reaction at all. Quinn, however, was totally absorbed as he prepared to drop three balls with one shot. He probably would have done it… He had dropped more than that on many other occasions.**

**Quinn shoved the cue stick forward over his left thumb, and as he did, out of the corner of his eye, he caught just a glimpse of something. It almost didn't register through the haze of his single-minded, intense concentration… **

**Almost…**

**There was a long ripping sound, as the cue stick missed the cue ball and dug itself in under the felt top of the pool table. Almost simultaneously, Quinn leapt straight up and did a sort of quick side step to the other side of the table. It happened so fast that he didn't even realize he had done it.**

**"Ooh, Cue Ball! I never saw you do that before," Rembrandt said, looking at the long rip in the felt. **

**Quinn looked back and forth, first at the pawgor then at the ripped felt, then the pawgor then the ripped felt. It was hard to tell which one shocked him the most.**

**"WHAT is that?" he finally asked.**

**"It looks like a big rip to me," Remmy said.**

**Quinn grimaced. "I can see THAT, Rembrandt! The CAT… Do you know what that is? It could be dangerous!" Even as he said this, his intense curiosity seemed to win out over the initial shock, and Quinn worked his way back around the table toward Jung-Jo.**

**Rembrandt patted Jung-Jo on the head. "Dangerous? You mean like sliding into unknown worlds… or maybe… telling Michael what happened to his pool table?"**

**Quinn found himself momentarily at an unusual loss for words. And as fate would have it, Michael walked into the room at that moment. Michael immediately spotted the ripped pool table and looked at Quinn. Quinn shook his head apologetically. Michael looked at the table again then at the pawgor, and he knew what had happened. Without a word, he passed his hand over the pool table, and the felt was once again unblemished.**

**Quinn took a deep breath -it was more like a gasp- and ran his hand over the felt that, just a moment before, had appeared to be irreparably damaged. It was perfect now… almost better than new if that was possible. He couldn't find even the slightest evidence that it had ever been damaged. He looked at the table again then at Michael…**

**"Listen, Michael… if you ever want to go into business… you could really get rich repairing pool tables and stuff!"**

**Michael smiled. "That's all right."**

**"I'm really sorry about the table. I never did that before."**

**"I know," Michael said, patting Jung-Jo on the head. "Jung-Jo can be a bit of a shock if you're not prepared."**

**Quinn looked at Rembrandt, who chuckled guiltily. He knew that Quinn wouldn't forget this and would find a way to repay him sooner or later in kind.**

**And as if the adrenaline in the room weren't already soaring high enough, at that moment, Professor Arturo walked in with Wade, looking for Quinn and Remmy. Spotting Jung-Jo, Wade did a double take and backed quickly out the door; but after a second look, she inched her way back in cautiously. Professor Arturo stopped dead in his tracks, momentarily dumbfounded. His eyes refused to even blink, as he stared in awe at the sight before him.**

**"My Gawd! It's a _Smilodon californicus!_ A saber tooth cat! Here! And very much alive by all appearances! Where in the world did you find it?"**

**"Jung-Jo is a pawgor," Tess said. "They're common in the Nan-Torel forest on Antar. They're the reason Antarians avoid the Nan-Torel. Well… one of the reasons. But Jung-Jo's friendly. Unless he has a reason not to be."**

**"I'll be very sure not to give him a reason then," the professor said.**

**"Jim Valenti rescued Jung-Jo when Jung-Jo was very young," Tess continued. "He was trapped under a fallen tree and would have died if Jim hadn't found him and taken him home to fix him up and nurse him back to health." **

**"As far as we know," Michael added, "Jim is the first person who ever went into the Nan-Torel more than once… willingly… and survived. He even did a Vid production on the Nan-Torel and its fauna for Antarians. They think he's crazy. But he's something of a legend and a folk hero on Antar. His younger son, Danyy, can talk to animals, and we think he's the reason Jung-Jo is so tame."**

**"Amazing," Professor Arturo said. "Simply amazing! I can only wonder what else there might be in that Nan-Torel forest of yours… perhaps even dinosaurs!"**

**Michael laughed. "I don't think so. Jim never saw any dinosaurs. Lots of rob-jettas, nasty bats that will eat you, fire snakes, and of course, pawgors… and more poisonous plants than anyone can imagine… but no dinosaurs… that we know of."**

**"Mmmm… all the same, it would be a marvel to be able to catalog the creatures in that forest, I would think."**

**"You know… Jim might have a copy of the video he made that was shown on Antarian TV," Michael said. "It's not VHS compatible… not even close… but Varec could probably adapt it and copy it for you. I imagine Jim would be more than happy to let you have a copy. He's always trying to educate Antarians about the Nan-Torel."**

**"That would be incredible," Professor Arturo said. "I would be truly indebted to all of you!"**

**"I'll see if Varec can do it," Michael said.**

**While Michael, Tess, and Professor Arturo were talking, Wade had edged over next to Rembrandt and was already petting Jung-Jo, who seemed to be very much enjoying all the attention he was getting, especially the petting. **

**"Where ever did you find this marvelous beast," Professor Arturo asked Rembrandt.**

**Rembrandt laughed. "In the arboretum. He sneaked up behind me and licked the back of my head."**

**"Yes… I wondered how you had straightened all the hair out on the back of your head and why it was sticking up on the top."**

**Rembrandt ran his hands over his head, trying to push his hair back down, but it just popped right back up in the back like an antenna.**

**"You'll have to shampoo it," Tess said. "Danyy likes to let Jung-Jo lick his hair and give him pawgorlicks. That's probably why Jung-Jo did it. But the pawgorlick won't go away until it's shampooed. It drives Danyy's mom nuts." Tess giggled as she thought about it.**

**"Did you see any of the other parts of the ship," Remmy asked, turning to Wade, who smiled and nodded enthusiastically.**

**"Alex and Isabel took the professor and me for a walk through the gardens. They have some incredible gardens… they're awesome! Did you like the arboretum?"**

**Rembrandt smiled sheepishly… "What I saw of it. The second half was sort of a blur."**

**Tess giggled again. **

**"I would very much like to see the observatory on the top level before we leave," Professor Arturo said.**

**Michael nodded. "That can be arranged. I'll be glad to show you up there right now if you'd like."**

**"Talking about leaving…" Max said, walking in the door at that moment with Liz. "I was just in to see Varec, and he has a message for you. He spent most of the evening making calculations and carefully recalibrating your timer. He traced your slides back to the first one you made by making a ghost image or something of your timer's internal computer."**

**"I tried to trace it back," Quinn said. "The trail wasn't strong enough to find anymore… after all the slides we've made."**

**"Well, Varec was able to make a ghost image and sharpen the resolution. And he said to give you this message… He hopes you won't miss sliding terribly much… because he made some changes to your timer, and tomorrow morning… You're sliding home."**

**In the room, there was total silence… then the room exploded in cheers.**

**tbc**


	6. Chapter 05

Thanks AlienAngel and Red-rumm! Your feedback is greatly appreciated! And you are correct, Red-rumm. Kyle stayed behind on Antar. I was wondering when someone would catch that.Obviously, you were paying close attention. :) I debated what to do about it and came up with what I believe is the best solution. Having Kyle go with them from the beginning would involve too many changes throughout the story, and having Alex and Max dancing Hammer somehow didn't seem as funny as Kyle and Max, at least to me, so I decided that when Kryys came looking for them right near the end, he brought Kyle with him, and when Kryys went back, in his own manner, Kyle stayed on board with the others. That only involved minor changes to chapters 52-55 of TNTDD and chapters 67,68, 70 of TFFOR, to eliminate comments about him not having been there at all and to include him in groups and a few scenes. The updated chapters are already uploaded. Thanks for noticing! I'm really glad to know that people are reading carefully enough to pick up on these things :)

Gerry

>>>>>>>>>> Here's the excerpt from TNTDD, followed by Part 5 of Sliding Into Antar

"Is the Drax-ta-kiya here, too, Kryys," Maria asked, suddenly remembering that Kryys had mentioned the ancient seer of Jeroglasst, who had become Kryys' mentor after his special abilities were discovered.

Kryys smiled then shook his head. "No. He showed me the way, but he stayed there. He said my abilities are greater than his… he just shows me the way now. But I think he can do anything he wants to do really."

Maria nodded. "You're probably right, Kryys… You're probably right."

"But Uncle Kyle is here," Kryys added, almost as an afterthought.

"Kyle? He's here?" Liz and Maria both exclaimed at the same time. "How?"

"He said he wanted to come with me, and he asked if that was possible. I told him sure. It's not really hard. I took Uncle Max and Aunt Liz to see Jeffy before he came home, Mom… remember?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah, but… that was in the same dimension. Where is Uncle Kyle?"

"He went to look for Dad and Uncle Max."

"Well," the younger Max said, reaching out to offer Kryys a "manly" handshake, "Welcome to the palace, Kryys. Why don't we all go find your Dad and the others. They're going to be verrrry surprised to see you."

>>>>>>>>>>

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Everything Is Relative**

**Chapter 5**

**V**

**A****s morning dawned and the hour approached for the slide, Quinn, Rembrandt, Professor Arturo, and Wade found themselves anxiously awaiting its arrival. There had always been a certain anticipation whenever they were about to slide, knowing that each slide might be "the one." But this time there was an indefinable joy in the air.**

**"Who wants to do the honors," Quinn asked, holding the timer up above his head.**

**"I'll do it," Wade said, reaching out with her hand. "Let me."**

**Quinn handed Wade the timer, and she held it up, grinning from ear to ear. **

**"One minute left! **

**…Thirty seconds!**

**…Twenty!**

**…Fifteen!"**

**As the timer reached ten, they all began counting together…**

**"Nine! **

**Eight! **

**Seven! **

**Six! **

**Five! **

**Four! **

**Three! **

**Two! **

**ONE!" Wade pressed the button on the timer, and the vortex appeared. **

**Quinn looked at Max and Michael then at Liz, Maria, Alex, and the others and smiled…**

**"Thanks! All of you! And Varec… You're amazing. I wish I could spend more time with you. Thank you… for everything."**

**Varec smiled.**

**Quinn turned and ran forward; then, leaping into the vortex, he disappeared.**

**"What Quinn said… that goes double for me," Rembrandt said. "And Tess, thanks for showing me around. I really liked the arboretum… the parts I saw of it. Take care of the kitty cat." Remmy grinned then turned and leapt into the vortex, too, disappearing behind Quinn.**

**"Mister Varec," said Professor Arturo, as he reached out to shake Varec's hand, "You are truly… amazing. I will always remember you with fondness. Thank you… and thank each of you for your wonderful hospitality."**

**Wade pointed at the timer, and Professor Arturo nodded.**

**"I would love to have been able to spend more time with you…" Professor Arturo added quickly, glancing at the timer… "But I must go… The vortex only stays open for a brief time." **

**Professor Arturo leapt into the vortex headfirst and disappeared.**

**Wade turned and looked at Liz, Max, Michael, Maria, and the others, then she smiled and, with only a nod, leapt headfirst into the vortex after the professor. A moment after she did, the vortex snapped closed and disappeared as though it had never been there.**

**On the bridge of the New Granolith, there was an eerie feeling, like waking up from a strange but very vivid dream.**

**"Did that really just happen," Isabel asked, voicing everyone's feeling.**

**"Amazing," Michael said, sounding oddly like the professor, "Simply amazing."**

**The others nodded.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**Quinn walked down the sidewalk and up to the gate in front of his house, with Wade, Rembrandt, and Professor Arturo. Slowly, he opened the gate… **

**It squeaked. **

**He smiled, then the others smiled, too.**

**"SOUNDS like home." **

**"Yes, but if the gate had not squeaked, how would you know that someone had not merely lubricated it," Professor Arturo asked, logically.**

**Quinn shook his head. "It hasn't been oiled since Pete Dandridge, our handyman's nephew, caught his thumb in it while trying to oil it when I was twelve years old. It lobbed half of his thumb off, and mom hasn't allowed anyone to work on it since."**

**"But that was just a freak accident," Wade said. "It probably wouldn't happen again."**

**"I know," Quinn sighed, "But mom still feels guilty about it. Pete was just seventeen. The squeaking helps to soothe her guilt, I think. She feels like she's protecting everyone. So we put up with a little squeak."**

**Wade smiled, and Professor Arturo nodded.**

**As they walked toward the house, Mrs. Mallory saw them coming and ran out the front door, joyously throwing her arms around her son.**

**"Quinn! Omigosh, is it really you?" After a long hug, she looked at the others then motioned briskly with her hands… "Well come in, don't just stand there! Come in! All of you!"**

**"Sit down! Sit down! Make yourselves comfortable," Mrs. Mallory said excitedly, as she rushed around the room. **

**"Mom," Quinn said, "This is Remmy… uh… Rembrandt Brown. You know Wade and Professor Arturo, of course. I guess you must be wondering where I've been…"**

**"Hi, Rembrandt!" Mrs. Mallory said cheerily. "Professor… nice to see you again… and Wade," Mrs. Mallory added, smiling warmly at Wade. **

**"I know what happened, Quinn. After you disappeared, I found the notes you made downstairs in the basement… in your lab. I read all the stuff you wrote about traveling through dimensions. I don't understand a word of it. But I always knew that someday you'd come back."**

**Quinn hugged his mother again… "You know me pretty well, Mom."**

**"It's what I get for having a genius for a son, I guess. Right Professor?"**

**Professor Arturo nodded… "But you are much more the optimist than I, Mrs. Mallory. I'm afraid that there were times when I had serious doubts about getting back. I am pleased to say that now I can put those doubts behind me."**

**"You could write a book about your adventures," Wade suggested.**

**Professor Arturo nodded, as he considered what Wade had said. "Yes, my dear girl, I believe that is exactly what I will do! And now I will be able to review this videotape of alien creatures of the Nan-Torel forest that Mister Valenti made and that Mister Varec so graciously adapted and copied for me. I will be very busy, I do believe, for quite some time to come. And, Quinn, someone must write a paper for the scientific journals describing this method for traveling through dimensions that we have discovered."**

**Quinn nodded and smiled. It was Quinn, actually, who had discovered interdimensional sliding. Professor Arturo hadn't even believed him until the accident happened. But Quinn guessed that after all Professor Arturo had been through, he was entitled to some bit of credit. At least he had been there… and he did understand the theory and how it worked. Few people, besides the professor, Quinn, and Bennish did. And Bennish was too unfocused to write anything, despite his unquestioned genius.**

**"Well, my dear, dear friends, I really must leave and return to my work," Professor Arturo said, "There is much to be done." He turned and looked at Quinn. "Mister Mallory, in view of the mitigating circumstances… I am excusing you from class today. But please be ON TIME in the morning."**

**Quinn saluted crisply.**

**Professor Arturo turned to Mrs. Mallory… "Mrs. Mallory… thank you for your hospitality. It is always a pleasure to see you, and I shall look forward to seeing you again."**

**Mrs. Mallory smiled and nodded, still somewhat at a loss for words. "I hope so, too, Professor."**

**"Well," Rembrandt said, standing up. "I should be going, too. Mrs. Mallory, thank you. Cue Ball… It's been… uh… What can I say? I hope we'll see each other around." Rembrandt looked at his watch and grinned. "You think I missed the half-time show?"**

**"I think so," Quinn said. "Maybe they'll ask you to sing the National Anthem at another game."**

**Rembrandt nodded. "So long, Cue Ball… Wade."**

**"Wade, why don't you stay with us for a while," Mrs. Mallory said, after the professor and Rembrandt had gone. "Have lunch with us."**

**Wade looked at her watch and at the door… then at Quinn… and she hesitated momentarily…**

**"Well… I should be going home, too. A lot of people will be missing me… but… they've waited this long. I guess they can wait till I've had lunch."**

**Mrs. Mallory grinned. "They'll wait, dear!"**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**Onboard the New Granolith, Max and Michael, together with Varec, were busy rechecking their course and their instruments.**

**"Everything looks good," Michael said. Max nodded. "If nothing goes wrong," Max said, "We should be home tomorrow afternoon."**

**A cheer went up from everyone in the room.**

**Jung-Jo trotted over and rolled over on his back beside Michael, and Michael reached down and scratched his tummy. "I think Jung-Jo's looking forward to getting home, too."**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**The following morning, Professor Arturo made his way early to the university and checked in with the president of the university and several other higher academic officials, of which he himself was one. He found that the university had not, as yet, hired anyone permanent to replace him… but he also found that they were not immediately inclined to allow him to return after having disappeared without a word for the better part of the academic year. It took a lot of explaining… and a promise to include several university officials' names as co-workers on the interdimensional theory when he wrote his report for the scientific journals; but in the end, he succeeded in getting his job back.**

**Professor Arturo left the president's office and walked to his class room feeling like a million dollars, which all considered, was probably a much smaller sum than he might actually stand to reap from his part in the discovery of interdimensional travel. But the professor was much more interested in the academic prominence and peer respect that this would bring him in scientific circles than in any possible monetary gains.**

**As he walked into the classroom, Professor Arturo discovered that everyone else was already there. He looked at his watch. He was one minute late, but for the first time ever, this didn't bother him in the least. He set his briefcase down on his desk and opened it then looked up at the class, a vague smile edging inexorably over his face. **

**"Well, let's see who is here…**

**Mister Darby…"**

**"Here."**

**"Mister Alexander… James…"**

**"Yo."**

**"Miss Moore… Samantha."**

**"Here."**

**Professor Arturo stopped and looked at the next name for a moment…**

**"Mister Bennish."**

**"Here, sir."**

**Professor Arturo looked up but did not see Bennish.**

**"Who said that?"**

**"I did, sir," a very well dressed and well groomed young man in the middle row replied.**

**Professor Arturo bristled momentarily. "I do not enjoy being made the fool of. You may be sitting in Mister Bennish's chair, but you are most assuredly NOT Mister Bennish." **

**Professor Arturo moved from behind his desk and walked toward the young man in the middle row. Then he took a good look at his face and went pale…**

**"OH MY GAWD! What have you done to yourself?"**

**The young man appeared at a loss, as he examined his clothes cluelessly. "I… I'm sorry, Professor. Is something wrong?"**

**Professor Arturo shook his head. "No… No, you are… impeccable."**

**Professor Arturo dropped his papers and rushed from the room then out of the building, almost running into Quinn Mallory on his way down the stairs.**

**"Sorry, Professor! I'm late again, I know…"**

**"Never mind, Mister Mallory. It doesn't matter."**

**Quinn looked around, shocked, then looked carefully at the professor. "What did you do with Professor Arturo?"**

**"Never mind that now, Mister Mallory. The question is not who I am but who that imposter in my class is who is claiming to be Mister Bennish!"**

**"How do you know he's an imposter?"**

**Professor Arturo scoffed. "His clothes… his hair… his grooming are all impeccable… He is good mannered… and infinitely polite… TO ME!"**

**Quinn shrugged. He wanted to say that maybe Bennish had turned over a new leaf since they had been gone, but he couldn't force himself to believe it.**

**"Are you sure it wasn't Bennish, Professor?"**

**"Oh, it WAS! THAT is the problem. He was sitting in Mister Bennish's chair, he answered when I called Mister Bennish's name, and he has Mister Bennish's face. I could NEVER forget that face, Mister Mallory, I assure you, as much as I should like to."**

**Quinn nodded, still trying to think of some explanation, but he couldn't. He walked back toward his own house, which was only a few blocks from the university, and Professor Arturo walked with him, at the moment feeling that he had no other place to go.**

**"I don't know," Quinn said. "It seems odd, I admit… but we should check it out. Everything else here is so perfect."**

**"A perfect Mister Bennish is too much perfection to be believed, Mister Mallory."**

**Quinn shrugged. "Maybe it's for the better."**

**"Oh, of that I am certain, Mister Mallory. But he is NOT OUR Mister Bennish. That is the problem, isn't it?"**

**Quinn nodded, but in his mind, he still wasn't ready to believe it. **

**As they approached Quinn's house, Quinn noticed a young man moving the gate back and forth. It appeared that he was oiling the hinges. Quinn started to tell him not to bother, but as the young man turned around, Quinn recognized him…**

**"Dandridge?"**

**The young man smiled and held up his hand to greet them, and Quinn swallowed hard.**

**"Is something wrong, Mister Mallory?" Professor Arturo asked.**

**"His thumb," Quinn said, "He has one."**

**"The last time I checked, most people do," Professor Arturo joked.**

**"Not Dandridge. Remember I told you that he lost it in that gate when he was seventeen."**

**Professor Arturo looked at the smiling young man they were approaching. He appeared to be in his early twenties, and he definitely had four fingers and a thumb… on each hand.**

**"What are you doing here," Quinn asked, clutching Dandridge's hand in greeting… at the same time assuring himself that the thumb was real and not a prosthetic.**

**"Uncle Fred couldn't come today. He's got the flu. So I'm doing his rounds. I noticed your gate was squeaking again."**

**Quinn nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah… yeah, it is… it was. Thank you."**

**"Oh, you don't need to thank me. Uncle Fred's paying me well." The young man laughed.**

**Quinn looked at Professor Arturo. "We have to tell Wade and Remmy."**

**"Should we," Professor Arturo asked. "I wonder… wouldn't it perhaps be kinder to let them go on believing…"**

**Quinn shook his head. "Would you want to believe it if it weren't true, Professor? I'll let them decide. If they want to stay here, they can stay. If they want to keep looking…"**

**"Agreed," Professor Arturo said.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**Quinn held up the timer and noted the time. It was 3:09 PM, and the vortex would be there in less than one minute. He prepared to push the button that would make the vortex visible, as the timer reached zero.**

**"You can back out now. You don't have to go… any of you. This world is more like our own world than any we've found so far. You could live normal lives here."**

**Wade shook her head and put one arm around Quinn's arm then put her other arm over the wrist of the first arm, locking them together. Quinn nodded and swallowed, understanding for perhaps the first time ever what Wade was really saying.**

**Rembrandt looked totally lost. "I don't know, man. I just don't know. Things here are like they should be. You know what I mean? I was just getting my life back."**

**Quinn smiled and nodded, then he pushed the button and the vortex appeared.**

**"It's your decision, Remmy. We'll miss you… but you deserve to be happy. You may never find what you're looking for if you go with us, so if you want to stay on this world… I'll understand."**

**"Goodbye, Cue Ball," Rembrandt said, his face etched with sadness and uncertainty. "Bye, Wade. I love you, girl! Professor! You're okay, man!"**

**"I'll take that as a high compliment, Mister Brown," Professor Arturo said, squeezing Rembrandt's hand. Then the professor turned and jumped into the vortex right behind Quinn and Wade.**

**Now alone, Rembrandt waved a final halting good-bye and started to walk away. Then he looked around again at this world so much like his own…**

**"Aw, hell!" **

**He spun around and ran toward the vortex, leaping into it and disappearing just as it snapped shut.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**THREE HOURS EARLIER…**

**unknown to Quinn or the professor, who had already left the science building, an unkempt student walked into Professor Arturo's class and turned over the seat of the well-groomed Mister Bennish…**

**"That's my seat, man! You may be my cousin and you may look like me, but you're not gonna frikkin' take my seat just 'cause it's your first day here!"**

**"Sorry, Conrad, I didn't know. The seat wasn't taken."**

**There was a bit of snickering from some other students in the class. **

**"Conrad never comes on time," another student said. "It's against his religion."**

**"Yeah, see!" Bennish said. "So don't go takin' my seat when I'm not here!"**

**He looked around, suddenly noticing that he hadn't been reprimanded. "Where's the Babe?"**

**"The 'sub' didn't come today," another student said, as Conrad's cousin stood up and looked around for another seat, "Professor Arturo came in, but he looked at Jeremy and ran out."**

**"You see?" Conrad laughed, "Even he can't stand you! You've got brains, man. Granted, you're not as smart as I am, but you've got brains. You just need to get some… style." **

**"Weird man that Arturo," Conrad added, shaking his head. "He usually doesn't lose it and run out cursing till I get here."**

**In front of Quinn's house, at about the same time, the young Mister Dandridge walked up to the door and knocked, and Mrs. Mallory came to the door.**

**"Hi, Ma'am. I'm Steve Dandridge. Fred's my uncle. He's got the flu, and I'm helping him with his rounds."**

**"Oh… okay," Mrs. Mallory said with a smile. Then she turned back to the young man. "I thought your name was Pete?"**

**"Pete's my brother," Steve said. "We're twins. Didn't you know?"**

**Mrs. Mallory shook her head.**

**"Most people can't tell us apart… except Pete's missing a…"**

**Mrs. Mallory cringed. "I know. I still feel terrible about that."**

**"It wasn't your fault, Mrs. Mallory. Actually, Pete wanted to come over here himself today, but he had already promised to help a friend baby sit for another relative's kids."**

**"A 'girl' friend," Mrs. Mallory asked.**

**Steve nodded.**

**"Well… then I wouldn't want to get in the way of that," Mrs. Mallory said with a big smile. **

**Steve laughed and nodded. "I'll start with the yard if that's okay."**

**"That will be fine… Steve, is it?"**

**"Yes, Ma'am."**

**Mrs. Mallory smiled then went back into the house, and Steve walked out to the fence to weed, but as he moved the gate it squeaked. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a small oil can and pumped it a couple of times on each hinge. Then he moved the gate back and forth several times, waving as he noticed Quinn and another person coming toward him on the sidewalk. **

**tbc**


	7. Chapter 06

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Antarian Storms**

**Chapter 6**

**VI**

**T****he morning of the following day was filled with great excitement on the New Granolith. Antar was in sight. Okay, if one used the RV goggles, Antar was in sight. The newest Remote Vision goggles could magnify a speck of light by a factor of three thousand. To the naked eye, Antar was nowhere near visible yet, but at the speed the New Granolith was traveling, it was expected to become visible to the naked eye within two more hours. One hour after that, they would be approaching the planet. Twenty minutes after that… they would be home. HOME! The word was on the lips, in the minds, and in the hearts of every person on the ship. They had not been home in almost two months now, and everyone was anxious to see their children and their own planet again. **

**"What do you think our vortex-sliding friends are doing right now," Michael asked, turning his co-pilot's seat around to face Max.**

**Max shrugged. "Getting on with their lives, I imagine. They have a lot of catching up to do. Their lives have been turned upside down for almost a year now.**

**"I can't imagine being totally lost out here for that long," Liz said sadly. "I don't know how they did it and didn't lose their will to go on… and even kept a sense of humor."**

**"Just like your double in the world we were just on did it, I imagine," Tess said. "The FBI guys shot her and paralyzed her, they told her that Max, Michael, Isabel, and Maria were dead, they locked her and Alex up in an insane asylum, and they tried repeatedly to kill her, and still she survived and even found the others."**

**"She WAS amazing, wasn't she," Liz said, somehow not feeling at all uncomfortable about praising her own double's courage.**

**"They were all amazing," Michael said. "Those guys have got a lot of guts. I've got to give 'em that. The vortex sliders do, too."**

**Liz and Maria nodded.**

**"You think we'll ever see them again, Max," Tess asked.**

**Max thought about it and laughed. "I doubt it. We don't even know which dimension they live in. Varec just sent them back to their original point of origin. It had to be their home, since it was where they started out from."**

**"Yeah," Tess mused. "They were a lot of fun, though. They had a lot of interesting stories to tell about all the worlds they'd been to. I hope we see them again."**

**"Well, I would never say never, Tess… but don't count on it," Michael said. "Now that they're home, they'll probably throw that timer thing in the next vortex. I know I would."**

**Tess laughed.**

**"I'm gonna miss them, though," Maria said. "It was nice to have some company for a while."**

**Max nodded. "Yeah."**

**As Michael turned around, he noticed Alex and Isabel quietly edging toward the door. It took him only a moment to realize where they were going…**

**"Uh, Max… can you handle the piloting for the next hour or so, while Maria and I…"**

**Alex turned and headed out the door with Isabel at a fast pace.**

**"No you don't!" Michael shouted, grabbing Maria by the hand and racing for the door behind them."**

**"They'll get to the ascension chamber before we do," Maria said.**

**Michael looked around quickly. "Liz? Can I borrow your sphere… just for a minute?"**

**Liz laughed. "What? No! That would be cheating, Michael! If they get to the observatory first they get there first, that's all."**

**Michael raced for the ascension chamber with Maria in tow. As fate would have it, Alex and Isabel had had to wait for the chamber to come back down, and they were just getting in. Michael leapt into the chamber with Alex and Isabel, pulling Maria with him.**

**There was a pregnant silence as the ascension chamber rose then stopped on the top level. The door opened, and Michael and Alex both leapt out, racing for the sofa in the back of the room as though it were the final goal of a relay race. Both of them leapt at the same time, Alex falling on top of Michael on the sofa.**

**Alex lifted his head and looked Michael in the eyes. "I got here first. It's ours."**

**"I was first," Michael said.**

**There was a cough from the direction of the ascension chamber, and both Alex and Michael turned their heads to look. Maria and Isabel stood in the chamber tapping their toes on the floor…**

**"Did you guys forget something," Maria asked.**

**"Like US," Isabel said.**

**"When you get through hugging Alex," Maria said, "Can I get some?"**

**Michael and Alex looked at each other and both of them leapt up from the couch. Michael brushed himself off compulsively. Alex stood there, looking uneasy and embarrassed. **

**"You know," Isabel said, "In about two hours, everybody on the ship is going to be up here looking for Antar as we get closer.**

**"Yeah, I know," Alex said. "I just wanted you and me to have a little time to ourselves before the rush started." **

**Isabel smiled and walked over to Alex then put both arms around him and kissed him. "Save that thought, lover boy. When we get to Antar, I'm going to collect on it… with interest."**

**Maria put her arms around Michael and kissed him, too. "What Isabel said… the same thing goes for me."**

**Michael grinned. "Well… you ARE a lot more kissable than Alex."**

**"That's your opinion," Isabel said.**

**Michael sighed and looked at Maria then back at Isabel and Alex… "All right, you guys can have the observatory. You were headed this way first, I guess, anyway. Maria and I'll go to the gardens." **

**He looked at Maria… "Is that okay?" **

**Maria nodded and smiled. "More than okay. It's private." **

**Michael grinned. "Yeah, it is… isn't it?"**

**As Isabel had predicted, in less than two hours, the others began to show up in the observatory, hoping to get a first glimpse of Antar… and home. The first ones to show up were Tess and Rayylar. Then Jim and Kyle came in together. Shortly after them, Michael and Maria returned from their trip to the gardens. Max and Liz had stayed on the control bridge together, along with Varec, who temporarily assumed Michael's co-pilot position, though they all knew that the ship could fly with only one pilot… or even with none, if need be, so long as the computer flight program had been set and nothing unexpected happened. **

**It wasn't long before Jim spotted Antar. All of them had already seen it, using the RV goggles, but Jim spotted the tiny golden orb in the distance before any of the others did… without the RV goggles. The orb seemed to grow quickly, going from the size of a pinhead to the size of an orange in slightly less than twenty minutes… and from the size of an orange to the size of a basketball in the next ten minutes. Fifteen minutes after that, they were preparing to enter the atmosphere. **

**Michael and Maria returned to the bridge, where Michael reassumed control of the co-pilot's panel.**

**"Looks like everything is still right where we left it," Michael joked.**

**Max smiled, then he turned the nose of the ship down slightly and dropped into the atmosphere. What happened next seemed like a dream… a bad one. Almost as soon as the ship touched the atmosphere, the blue skies and clear golden sea below began to turn black and soupy. Then the ship was hit by a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. Within seconds after that, the ship was literally engulfed in torrential weather and incredible flashes of lightning from every different direction at once. The ship rocked to the right and fell back to the left, losing altitude rapidly. Then, just as suddenly, it surged and rose again, as though it had hit a powerful, concentrated updraft. **

**"My God!" Max exclaimed. "I've never seen a storm come up so suddenly on Antar."**

**"I've never seen a STORM like this one on Antar," Michael said, trying to brace himself in his seat as the ship lurched again.**

**"Nor have I," Varec said. "It appears to cover the entire northern hemisphere… at least… maybe even the entire planet."**

**"Did you see how fast everything changed," Liz said, holding onto the back of Max's chair tightly. "The sky was blue and cloud-free just a minute ago. Now it's blacker than midnight! And the sea! The sea turned black, too!"**

**"How can you tell," Maria asked. "I can't even see it anymore."**

**"I saw it right before the sky closed in on us," Liz said… "Well, anyway, I think I did."**

**Max swallowed and adjusted the attitude dampers slightly to stabilize the ship. It seemed to work. An older ship would not have had all the special equipment that Varec had had installed in the New Granolith and probably would have been doomed and crashed. **

**Max took the ship down to five hundred feet above sea level, but they still couldn't see anything but the soupy blackness around them, lit up by relentless lightning bolts that continued to pound the ship mercilessly from every direction. Michael passed his hand over a sensor, and a screen came alive in front of them, displaying a virtual image of the ship and the planet below. At the bottom of the screen, numbers and data, in Antarian, flowed continuously from right to left, telling them the ship's altitude and position second by second.**

**Eight minutes later… though it seemed like an hour… the ship set itself down on solid ground. Actually, it set itself down fifteen feet above the ground, on a magnetic field created by the anti-gravity repulsors, but the anti-gravity repulsors locked the ship in place in that position just as though the ship itself were on the ground. The ship would not move, regardless of weather conditions, while the anti-grav was engaged.**

**According to all the data, they were in CoruzAntar, Antar's capitol, in a large field near the lab that normally housed the New Granolith. Varec activated the ship's ground shields and quickly entered a few calculations into the ship's computers, expanding the shield's range outward sufficiently so that they would be able to transport down without being hit by lightning or drenched by the torrential black rains.**

**Michael went first, appearing on the ground beneath the ship in an invisible ionic beam. Max followed Michael, and Varec went next. After them came Jim, followed by Kyle, Alex, Isabel, Liz, Maria, Tess, and Rayylar. Soon, everyone was on the ground… but they were pretty much confined to the area that the shield covered. No one was going to venture out unprotected into the strange weather beyond the shield's range.**

**"What do we do now," Liz asked. Max shook his head, thinking.**

**"I have an idea," Michael said, disappearing back into the ship. A little over four minutes later, the ship's ramp came down and something started down it. Liz and Maria looked at each other and, in spite of their fears and everything that had been happening, both of them laughed out loud.**

**"The Snapples truck! I didn't know we still had that on the ship," Maria said."**

**"Michael thought he might need it if we ever went back to earth again… to bring, uh, supplies to the ship," Max said.**

**Michael pulled the truck up beside the others and rolled the window down…**

**"Anyone going to the palace? Hop in. Rides are free today."**

**The others all piled into the back of the truck, and Max worked his way forward into the seat beside Michael…**

**"Do you think you can find the palace in this weather, Michael? I can't see anything out there. That black rain is impenetrable. And this truck doesn't hover… if you run into a ditch…"**

**"I'll find it," Michael said with confidence. Just hold on."**

**Michael turned the truck around and headed in the direction of the palace. Though the air all around them was soupy black and visibility all but non-existent, somehow he managed to stay on the road that led to the palace. They were about half way there when things changed again… unfortunately, not for the better. The truck had already taken several lightning hits, but what hit it this time was hard… and fiery. There were gasps and a couple of muffled screams from the back of the truck, as a small fireball passed through the truck, barely missing Varec.**

**"What was that?" Maria screamed.**

**Michael looked out the windshield. It was raining fireballs everywhere in the sky, and some of them were beginning to reach the ground. Then Max saw where they were coming from… a huge meteor that was headed straight toward CoruzAntar, and coming fast. The fireballs appeared to be breaking off from it. Max gasped audibly and pointed, but Michael had already seen it. So had Varec. **

**Suddenly, Michael veered the truck violently to avoid a larger fireball that plowed into the ground directly in front of them, and the truck tilted. Then slowly… unstoppably… as though in a dream… the truck rolled over onto its side. **

**"This isn't right," Varec said.**

**"You're telling me!" Alex exclaimed, as everyone scrambled to get back up again and Jim kicked open the back doors of the truck.**

**"What do you mean… not right," Max and Michael both asked at the same time.**

**"I don't know… exactly," Varec said… "But it's not right. That meteor up there is getting larger very quickly."**

**"Yeah, it's getting CLOSER very quickly," Michael exclaimed.**

**Varec shook his head. "The angle is all wrong for the rate of optical perspective augmentation."**

**"Only Varec can be about to die and be totally thrilled about learning something new," Rayylar said, incredulous.**

**"No, no!" Varec shook his head. "You don't see! It can't be real. At the angle the meteor is falling, it should increase in perspective exponentially… but not as fast as it is. The rate is all wrong."**

**"What are you saying," Max asked, turning toward Varec and giving him his complete attention. "If I understand you right… are you saying that there's no meteor out there?"**

**Varec nodded.**

**"And no fireballs?" Michael asked.**

**Varec nodded… "And probably no lightning or bad weather. Someone out there is putting on a show for our benefit… to frighten us away."**

**"Well, they're doing a hell of a good job of it," Michael said, glancing back up at the fast approaching meteor. He was sure that he could feel heat radiating from it now.**

**"Tess," Liz mused, turning around, as an idea came into her mind. "Could you create a mind warp that would make someone out there think they saw the New Granolith fly away… and make all of us invisible?"**

**"I don't know," Tess said, shaking her head, uncertain, "How far would I have to extend the mind warp?"**

**"I don't know," Liz admitted, "As far as you can. We don't know where the person is who's doing this."**

**"I may not have enough power," Tess said ruefully, "But I'll try."**

**"Do it," Max said, encouraging her. "It could work if they're nearby."**

**Tess nodded then closed her eyes and concentrated. For twenty to thirty seconds, nothing happened. Then, as suddenly as everything had started, the meteor, the black rain, the lightning, the fireballs, all of it dissolved into thin air and simply disappeared as though it had never existed at all. The sky was blue, clear, and beautiful.**

**"IN-credible," Alex said, looking around.**

**"Unbelievable," Kyle mumbled, shaking his head.**

**Max turned around to look at their overturned truck but noticed that someone else had taken an interest in it, too. He nudged Michael and pointed. Michael turned and looked, then everyone else turned around and looked. The truck was being carefully picked over… by children.**

**tbc**


	8. Chapter 07

**Sliding Into Antar**

**The Children Of The Ruins**

**Chapter 7**

**VII**

**T****ess concentrated, pushing the mind warp out as far as she could; and it appeared to be working, since none of the children climbing into the overturned truck thirty feet away had any inkling that they were being watched. The children had seen the New Granolith fly away shortly after the truck overturned in the "storm." But like the storm, what the children saw was an illusion. The New Granolith still sat only a hundred feet away, fifteen feet up in the air, on its anti-gravity field.**

**"Now what do you think those kids could want with our truck?" Michael asked, in a whispered tone.**

**Max shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out right now!"**

**Max walked over and laid a strong hand on the shoulder of one of the children who had just climbed out of the truck. The boy, who was facing away from Max but who appeared to be about ten or twelve years old, nearly jumped out of his skin and swatted frantically at his shoulder, as though he thought he had just been grabbed by a ghost. And since, by all appearances, there was no one there, that must have seemed to be the case. But the boy quickly discovered that his "ghost" was strong. No matter how much he squirmed, he could not break the invisible grip on his shoulder. Max reached out with his other hand and turned the boy around so that he could see his face.**

**"Zorel," Michael gasped, recognizing his oldest son. Michael started to walk toward his son, but just then another of the children ran by him, and he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. **

**"JoLeesa?" Max exclaimed. The girl in Michael's grip turned pale at the sound of disembodied voices in the air, and when the invisible hand touched her arm, she quite literally leapt out of her shoes. She struggled to get free but found her efforts useless.**

**"Tess, drop the mind warp," Max yelled."**

**Tess took a deep breath and opened her eyes. As she did, the "ghosts" slowly became visible. If Max thought the children's reactions to being grabbed by something unseen could not be topped, he was mistaken. Their reactions to him and to Michael were even greater. First, they went pale, then they teetered as though they might collapse where they stood.**

**"JoLeesa," Liz exclaimed, her jaw dropping in disbelief… "Andya! Maya! Alyyx!" **

**All of Liz and Max's children were there except Jeffy. She didn't see Jeffy. Michael quickly rounded up Jayyd and Kryys and relieved Max of Zorel, who soon realized that Michael's grip was no less inescapable than Max's had been.**

**Meanwhile, Alex and Isabel had rounded up Mareeya and Ceelya and had also managed to catch Danyy, who was quickly taken "into custody" by his father, Jim Valenti.**

**Kyle caught Rayyn and Taz as they emerged from the truck and tried to run; then, looking into the overturned truck, he discovered a little girl hiding. Recognizing Liz-Jolee, he lifted her out of the truck and handed her to her father, Varec.**

**Tess, who had been watching everything that was going on with a stunned reaction, turned around to find her husband, Rayylar, holding Jiba and Drel each by the arm, and they were struggling hard to get away. **

**"This isn't right," Tess said, shocked at what was happening. "These can't be our children. They just can't. My children love me."**

**"Tess is right," Maria said, trying to help Michael hold a struggling Jayyd, their youngest child. "Something is very wrong here."**

**That, at least, had by now become obvious to all of them. If these were their children, something terrible had happened to them… and if they weren't their children… then who?**

**Though all of the parents were thinking the same question, it was one of the children, Andya, who finally asked it…**

**"Who are you? Are you working for Kivar… Are you darkhole shadowshifters?**

**"We're your parents," Max said firmly, looking Andya in the eyes. Andya tried to reply, but her voice vanished and she only stammered and shook her head.**

**"You're not our parents," Zorel said with total certainty, but Andya was not so sure. Something in Max's eyes had looked familiar. It was impossible, but it was hard to deny.**

**"Sweetheart," Maria said, "We are your parents… I promise you." She put one hand on Zorel, and he pulled back and cringed, shaking his head…**

**"Our parents are dead. Kivar killed them."**

**The effect of that statement was like a lightning bolt passing through each one there.**

**"What do you mean," Max asked, turning to Zorel. "Why would you think Kivar killed us?"**

**"We saw it," Andya whispered in a thin, shaky voice. "We saw you… all."**

**"Dead?" Isabel asked.**

**"Yeah," Ceelya said. **

**Isabel looked at Alex, and tears welled up in her eyes. Alex hugged her against his heart, trying to comfort her, but he was just as shocked as she was. Then Isabel looked at Max, Michael, Liz, and the others. She had a terrible, sick feeling in her stomach, and she could see that they all shared it. Somehow, they had stumbled upon another alternate dimension instead of their own; and here, Max and the others must have deposed Kivar, and he must have returned and killed them… probably with the help of the shadow-dwelling shapeshifters… leaving their children as homeless orphans fending for themselves amongst the ruins. It was just the kind of cold, heartless revenge Kivar would appreciate. But where was everybody else? Had Kivar killed everyone on the planet… or just the royal family and important people… or all the parents? It seemed very hard to believe that he could have killed everyone, but where were the other children? Where were the other adults? It didn't make sense.**

**"Zorel, what can I do to convince you that I am who I say I am," Michael said, turning to his and Maria's oldest son.**

**Zorel shook his head but didn't reply. He was thinking about it. He didn't believe it, but deep inside, he did WANT to believe it… He wanted desperately to believe it.**

**tbc**

**Coming Next: The Test**


	9. Chapter 08

**Sliding Into Antar**

**The Test**

**Chapter 8**

**VIII**

**Yes, w****hat can we do to make you believe us," Liz asked, repeating Michael's question for Zorel and putting him under even more pressure to decide quickly whether or not these new people were friends or enemies. They looked like their parents. But that was not necessarily a plus. That made Zorel think all the more that they must be shapeshifters. He knew that they weren't his real parents. And yet, there was something… Zorel had no idea what it was or why he felt so bothered. He was, even at his young age, more than able to defend himself and the others with powerful blasts that he was capable of producing from the palm of his hand. He had done it before. He was not afraid of bad guys… Well… bad guys that he could see anyway. He shuddered briefly as he remembered the feeling Max's vice-like grip on his shoulder caused in him when Max was invisible.**

**Zorel turned to Maya, who was the same age as he was… "Maya…" **

**He said her name then just nodded, but Maya understood. She concentrated for several long moments then shook her head. "I don't feel any evil in their thoughts… not like I felt in the shadowshifters… or in Kivar."**

**"They may have found a way to hide it from you, Maya," Ceelya said.**

**Maya shook her head. "I don't feel like they're hiding anything like that. I can feel their thoughts, and I don't sense any evil in them."**

**"But they're not our parents," Zorel said firmly. "They're trying to trick us by looking like our parents."**

**"I don't feel any deceit coming from them," Maya said, shrugging.**

**"I think I can explain why we look like your parents," Isabel said. "Have you ever heard of alternate dimensions?"**

**Maya nodded. "They're not real. They're just a theory."**

**"They are real," Isabel said, nodding her head emphatically. "We're from another dimension. You see, we didn't know either… I mean… we thought we were returning home to our planet, in our own dimension, but somehow we found your planet instead… Do you understand?"**

**Zorel just looked at her. Isabel wasn't sure if he didn't believe her or if he didn't know what she was talking about.**

**"Okay, you see," Isabel said, "We found out that other dimensions actually do exist, and we went to another dimension in our ship, but when we tried to go home, we came to this world, and we thought it was ours, but now we know it's not…" Isabel sighed dejectedly. "You don't understand any of this, do you?"**

**"I understand," Zorel said. "I'm just not sure if I believe you."**

**"It is possible," Kryys said, turning to face Zorel. "I've seen that there is something beyond the expanse… in the other place."**

**"The River of Time," Michael said, nodding.**

**"I don't know what it's called," Kryys said. "River of Time? That sounds like a good description."**

**"You never met the Drax guy?" Michael asked, somewhat shocked.**

**Kryys shook his head. "Who is that?"**

**In our dimension, he's been teaching my son… Kryys… that's you in our dimension… about the River of Time and everything like that. You know, the stuff you do, turning into atoms and disappearing."**

**Zorel looked at Kryys, surprised… "He knows about that."**

**"What else do you know about us," Andya asked suspiciously.**

**"Well," Liz said, "If you're like my Andya, you can make animals appear out of nowhere… and you hate gojos."**

**Andya's mouth opened in surprise. "I do hate gojos. They taste like little green caca."**

**"They do not!" Liz scolded. "They're good for you. They give you vitamins to grow up strong and healthy, and they taste good."**

**"She sure sounds like Mom," JoLeesa said. Andya nodded, her eyes reflecting her shock.**

**"We know everything about you… about all of you," Kyle said. "It's obvious that your families were a lot like ours. Same kids… so you must have had the same parents." Kyle looked at Danyy… "Your Dad was my Dad, Jim Valenti. But your Mom was Antarian. Her name was Jeliya."**

**Danyy looked surprised.**

**"On the world we were just on, my Dad… I mean, his double… married Amy DeLuca."**

**Danyy grinned then broke out laughing. "No way! Aunt Amy… and Dad?" Zorel laughed, too, then the others started to laugh.**

**"It's not really so funny," Kyle said. "They knew each other on Earth, you know. They even went out together a few times when they were on Earth."**

**"That's true," Danyy said. "I forgot."**

**"Your Dad dated Aunt Amy when they lived on Eluymer?" Andya asked in shock.**

**"Yeah… but that was when they were both little kids, I think," Danyy replied.**

**Zorel nodded understandingly. "Oh, well…"**

**"Do you believe us now," Isabel asked.**

**Zorel suddenly became very serious again. He was a child, only eleven going on twelve, but he was also the defender of all the children there. It was a role he had been cast into… or had taken upon himself. Either way, making a decision about these grown-ups now was clearly taxing his emotions as well as his powers of reasoning to their limits.**

**"There is one more thing that you must do… to prove that you're telling the truth," Zorel said. He looked around at each of the adults, then he pointed at Alex. "You… come with me."**

**Isabel suddenly looked terrified. "Where are you taking him?"**

**"It's okay," Alex said, giving Isabel a kiss. "I'll be all right."**

**Isabel shook her head. "Can't I go, too?"**

**Zorel stopped her. "Just him."**

**Isabel started to protest, but Alex shook his head. Then he walked off with Zorel and several of the other children. The children left Alyyx and Taz to watch the remaining adults. Isabel watched as the other children and Alex disappeared around a stand of trees and a small hill, then she looked at Max imploringly. Max shook his head slowly. "I think he'll be okay, Iz. Alex can take care of himself."**

**On the other side of the hill, the children took Alex into a large cave. Alex immediately noticed that all around him in the cave there were weapons sitting out in the open and totally unguarded… spears, knives, harpoons, even a laser cell disrupter… some weapons that were antiques and some weapons that had long been banned on Antar. If he had been an enemy, he could easily have used one on these children. They would be defenseless. He wondered how they could be so careless. They hadn't impressed him as being careless before. Young, yes… Immature… yes, but careless… no. They hadn't survived by being careless.**

**As Alex reached the back of the cave, he noticed someone sitting on a rock in the dark. At first, he couldn't tell who it was, but as he drew nearer, he gasped. "Max?"**

**The seated figure rose and looked at Alex but didn't say anything.**

**"Max, it is you! You're alive!" Alex exclaimed, approaching the standing figure rapidly. It suddenly occurred to Alex that the children might mistake his rush to check Max out as an attack on him and try to defend him… especially if Max was hurt. But surprisingly, the children made no move whatsoever to defend him. Alex checked Max over. Other than the fact that he never spoke, he seemed to be in pretty good shape.**

**"Max, why are you hiding in here?" Alex asked. "If you need help to fight Kivar, we can help you. We got rid of him before… twice… in two different dimensions. We're kind of getting good at it." Alex chuckled, trying to lighten the atmosphere and get Max to say something.**

**"Are you hurt, Max? 'Cause we can help you if you are. Our Max may be able to heal you if you can't do it yourself. Is anybody else alive, too?"**

**Max still did not answer.**

**Suddenly, Alex noticed all the unguarded weapons lying around again and became angry. Max was obviously hurt, and these children were just standing around. Not one of them was trying to help him. And they had carelessly endangered his life and theirs with all these unguarded weapons all around. Alex turned on Zorel…**

**"Zorel, you're their protector, right?"**

**Zorel nodded.**

**"Then you should know better than to leave all this stuff out in plain sight AND BRING A STRANGER IN HERE, TOO! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? I COULD BE HERE TO KILL THE KING! AND HE'S TOTALLY UNPROTECTED!" Alex was yelling. He knew it. But the total unmitigated stupidity of what he was seeing momentarily went to his head.**

**Zorel turned to Jiba and nodded, and Max slowly dissolved into the air. Then the weapons dissolved into the air… then the entire cave dissolved into the air. They were standing on the other side of the hill out in the open. Alex stood there, shocked.**

**"What… what just happened?" **

**"You just proved that you are who you said you are," Zorel said. "Or at least, that you're not our enemy. That's all we wanted to know."**

**"But…" Alex looked around. "What happened to Max?"**

**"He was never there," Zorel said. "The weapons were never there either. You already seem to have figured out that our storms were an illusion."**

**Alex nodded. "And the comet that was headed for us… with fireballs breaking off… one fireball went right through our truck!"**

**Zorel grinned and looked at Jiba. "That was a good touch, Jeeb."**

**Jiba smiled.**

**"You kids did all that?" Alex asked, incredulous.**

**"Jiba did it," Zorel said. "She can do mind warps even better than her Mom could."**

**Alex nodded… "Tess… Jiba's Tess' daughter… That's right!"**

**"After Kivar attacked us, our parents were… well, anyway… we chased Kivar off the planet with Jiba's illusions and my powers… and the powers of the other kids in our group. Andya made some wild animals… pawgors and stuff… lots of them. They weren't real, so when Kivar's soldiers tried to kill them, they just kept coming. Then Jiba rained storms and lightning down on Kivar and his soldiers, and they couldn't see to fight. They didn't even know where it was all coming from. After they had had enough, they left Antar in a big hurry. A few times, they've tried to come back, but we always give them a big welcome that sends them running away again."**

**"I've seen your welcome," Alex said, nodding. "It would make anyone run for their life."**

**"Not you apparently," Zorel said.**

**"Only because we thought we were coming home… and then Varec realized that the meteor or comet or whatever it was wasn't real…"**

**"I guess he would," Zorel said. "He's pretty smart like that."**

**Alex smiled, but then his smile faded away. "It's too bad about your parents getting killed, though."**

**Zorel looked at Maya, Jiba, and the others, and they nodded.**

**"Come with me," Zorel said, motioning to Alex.**

**"Where are we going?"**

**"To get the others who came with you… then to see if you can help us…"**

**tbc**


	10. Chapter 09

**Sliding Into Antar**

**The Black Bog**

**Chapter 9**

**IX**

**"These children… our children… are the ones who created all those illusions… the storms…the fireballs… the crashing meteor?" Max repeated in wonder, as they walked along the path following the children to wherever it was the children were leading them. "I'm impressed!" **

**"Me, too," Michael agreed. "And the way they tested us… They're no fools. They know how to survive. I like that!"**

**"I feel so sorry for them, though," Liz said sadly. "All they've been through… losing their parents… seeing them killed… then having to learn to survive on their own and having to chase Kivar and the shadowshifters away without any help. It's so sad!"**

**Maria sniffed and nodded. "I feel bad about scaring them now… when we were invisible."**

**Michael smiled. "I thought that was kind of funny."**

**Maria whacked Michael on the arm.**

**"Well, it was," Michael insisted. "Besides, they've already gotten over that… and anyway, they scared the crap out of us first. I almost peed my pants when I looked up and saw that meteor coming! And don't forget, we're here now, so we can help them."**

**Maria nodded… "Yeah, we can! That's right!" Then she thought about it and smiled… "I guess it was kind of funny… a little bit… when you think about it." She looked at the children leading them down the pathway through the woods… "I wonder where they're taking us."**

**"To feed us to the pawgors… for scaring them, probably," Rayylar said with a grin.**

**Jim laughed.**

**For the next two hours, the children led everyone on a long trek deeper into the Antarian wilderness.**

**"I've never seen these trails before," Michael said. "Where do they go?"**

**"I don't know," Max admitted. "I've never seen them either. Maybe the children made them."**

**Michael nodded. "Yeah! That's probably it."**

**As they walked on, everyone began to notice that the woods around them had become denser and denser; and in the last mile or so, everything had become quite jungle-like. In fact, except for the path the children were on, the woods were downright impassible in most places now.**

**"If I didn't know better, I'd say we were in the Nan-Torel," Max said in a hushed tone.**

**Jim nodded, looking around. "I've got news for you, Max. We ARE in the Nan-Torel."**

**"How do you know?"**

**"Those guma bushes back there… that's a species that I've only seen inside the Nan-Torel. The variety outside the Nan-Torel is different… and far less toxic."**

**If there had been any doubt in anyone's mind before, the sudden scream of a distant wild pawgor removed it definitively.**

**"They ARE going to feed us to the pawgors," Rayylar whispered, this time swallowing instead of laughing.**

**At that moment, Zorel held up his hand, and everyone stopped. Max immediately saw why. Directly in front of them was a large bog or marsh of very thick, soupy black water. It didn't look as thick as quicksand, or as hard to see, but it was considerably thicker than any water he had ever seen. And it had an eerie sort of luminescence. The whole place made Max shudder. Behind him, Liz and Maria and the others had already begun backing up. **

**Alex, however, walked up to the edge of the bog and peered into the water cautiously. As he leaned over to look, Zorel gave him a shove, and Alex fell into the bog, disappearing from view beneath the black waters almost immediately. Liz gasped loudly, and Isabel ran to the edge of the bog. She never stopped running. Maya gave her a shove, and Isabel kept going, right into the black waters. Immediately, she sank out of sight.**

**In total shock at what was happening, Max and Michael both put their palms up facing Zorel and Maya in order to protect everyone else if they needed to. But without a word, Maya stepped into the bog and disappeared beneath the water. Then Zorel leapt in and disappeared behind her.**

**"What the f is going on here!" Michael screamed, forgetting that he was among children, and at the moment not much caring. "Max…? Can we get them back? I'll jump in if you tie a line to me. There's plenty of vines around here we can use. Maybe this bog isn't too deep… we can find them."**

**"It's deep," Danyy said. "You won't find them. Come with me."**

**Danyy took Jim Valenti, his dad's double, by the arm and jumped, but Jim lifted his arm up high, leaving Danyy hanging over the black waters, his feet swinging back and forth. Then quickly, Jim snatched Danyy back with his other hand and held him there…**

**"Now you're going to tell me what is going on here, Danyy! I am NOT going to just jump into that bog with you… or be pushed in, either… and I'm not letting you or any more of the children jump in."**

**Jim's voice was stern and convincing, but his words were hollow, because there was little he could do and hold Danyy down at the same time. Even as he spoke, three more children nonchalantly jumped into the bog and disappeared. Then, to everyone's surprise, Tess walked up and looked into the water… then she jumped in and disappeared, too, with only a shrug.**

**"What is this… a suicide mindwarp thing?" Max yelled, spinning around to face the most likely source of any mindwarp that might be going on, Jiba. But Jiba just shook her head and jumped into the water, disappearing into the bog's depths.**

**Max and Michael rushed to push everyone else back away from the bog as far as they could.**

**"Something is going on here," Max said. "I'm going to find out what it is. Michael, tie a line around me. I'm going in."**

**"No way, Max," Michael said emphatically, tying the vine around himself. "They need you on Antar more than me. You're the king. Hold this!" **

**Michael handed Max the end of the vine and jumped in, not waiting for any possible objections. Immediately, he disappeared beneath the waters. Max felt the line playing out. It was a long vine, probably fifty feet at least, but it reached its end very quickly. Max held on till it reached the end then began pulling the line back up again. He noticed that it didn't have much resistance anymore. Then he saw why. When the end of the rope came out of the water, Michael was nowhere to be seen. In shock, Max yelled Michael's name, but he didn't expect an answer. **

**Immediately, Max spun around and grabbed the first child still standing there, which happened to be little Jayyd.**

**"Tell me what happened to Michael! Tell me what happened to the others! Where are they? How can I get them back?"**

**Jayyd shook her head. "They're okay. They're in the healing place."**

**Max stammered momentarily then released Jayyd… "The healing place? What's that?"**

**Jayyd turned and pointed with a little finger at the bog. "That's the healing place. It's where the pawgors go when they're hurt… to get well."**

**Max looked at Liz and Maria silently… then at Jim. Everyone was in shock.**

**"They call this the healing place?" Max asked again. Jayyd nodded.**

**"Does it make you better if you get hurt," Max asked. Jayyd nodded.**

**"How do you get back out?"**

**Jayyd pointed a little finger at the far side of the bog. "It's shallow on that side. You can walk out over there."**

**"But… but…" Max stammered, losing himself in a sudden flurry of thoughts and questions… "Why don't they drown?"**

**Little Jayyd shrugged.**

**"Have you ever been in there," Max asked. Jayyd nodded.**

**"Why didn't you drown?"**

**"There's air on the bottom."**

**Max looked at the others then at Jim… "I'm going in."**

**"Let me go," Jim said, "Michael's right. You're needed on Antar to run things. If they're down there, I can tell them how to get out." **

**Jim turned to jump, but before he could, someone began emerging from the water on the other side of the bog. It was Michael… and he smiled.**

**"Come on in, Max. You won't believe this."**

**Max hesitated for a moment; then, remembering that Jiba had already jumped in, he decided that Michael was real and not an illusion. He looked at Jim and shrugged, then both jumped in.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**For a moment, Max felt vaguely wet… but it wasn't a cold wetness. In fact, there was an odd "warmth" to it that seemed to radiate all through his body, making every nerve tingle in a surprising way. Max had a feeling of sinking, but it lasted no more than a few brief seconds, then he hit the bottom. Whatever this "water" was, one sure sank fast in it! Max doubted that it would be possible to stay afloat or swim in it even if one tried.**

**As Max hit the bottom, a hand reached out from somewhere and grabbed him by the arm.**

**Max wiped his face and eyes and looked around. It was dark… mostly. There was a very dim light that was probably being produced by something in the water above him. But then the area suddenly lit up. Max saw that Zorel was holding his hand up in the air, and it was glowing brightly.**

**"Why didn't I ever think of that," Max mused, shaking his head.**

**"Come with me," Zorel ordered, turning and walking away without saying anything more. Max followed. The ground, if that's what it was, beneath his feet felt squishy… not "wet" squishy, more like "soft" squishy. It looked like it was composed of a thick layer of some kind of mossy growth… or perhaps algae. **

**Max had gone no more than ten steps when he heard someone calling him from behind. He turned around and looked. It was Liz and Maria, and right behind them were all the others.**

**"You weren't going to leave us out there, were you," Liz asked, taking Max by the arm. "I've followed you everywhere else, Max… across galaxies… through dimensions… I guess I'll follow you into the bowels of the earth… or Antar… or wherever you go, even if it's into a black bog… But we go together." Max nodded and smiled then put his arm around Liz, and they turned and followed Zorel.**

**"Aren't we going the wrong direction to get to the other side," Varec asked.**

**Max looked around and shrugged. "I've lost all sense of direction. Everything looks the same in here, so I couldn't tell you."**

**"We are," Varec said definitively.**

**"We're not going to the other side," Zorel said, motioning toward a rise just ahead of them. "That's where we're going." Zorel led the group to the rise and climbed up onto it, then he turned around and offered Max a hand, but Max was already on it. So was Jim; and very soon, so were the others. Zorel led them on into the crevasse that lay beyond the rise. Then, about a hundred feet in, he stopped and held his hand up, brightening the entire "room" with the glow from his palm. Max immediately noticed that Michael was there. So were Alex, Isabel, and all the other children who had jumped into the bog before them. The children moved to one side so that Max and the others could see, and Max gasped.**

**"Oh my God!" Liz and Maria both said at exactly the same time, sounding strangely stereophonic.**

**Max walked over to the hand-fashioned beds made of the soft algae-like growth and stared into the faces of the bodies that lay there… the faces of their doubles, the children's parents.**

**"We brought them here after Kivar attacked," Zorel said. "The shadowshifters caught us all by surprise. The shadowshifters can make themselves look like part of the wall, and when you walk by, they just come out of the wall and stab you or use their xenon-disrupting rays to blast your brain apart inside your head. You can't see the shadowshifters, then they just pop out and they're there. That's how they got our parents. We hoped the bog would bring them back and make them well again… but…"**

**"Are they dead," Maria asked.**

**Max shook his head. "They appear to be… but… they haven't turned into dust. They should have by now if they were dead. How long have they been this way, Zorel?"**

**"Two seasons… and three days."**

**"About seven months." Max nodded. **

**"They're not breathing," Michael said. "I already checked."**

**Max felt for a pulse in Liz's double. There was none. "They're dead… as we know it. But they're not… somehow… The bog or something in here must be preserving them."**

**"Can you heal them, Max," Isabel asked.**

**Max put his hands over Liz's double, trying to sense where the injury was.**

**"They shot her in the head," Andya said. "I saw it."**

**Tears brimmed up in Liz's eyes, and she hugged Andya to her. Then Andya began to cry. It was the first time they had seen any of the children cry, and it brought tears to everyone's eyes.**

**Max placed both hands over Liz's double's head and concentrated, closing his eyes tightly and exerting every ounce of energy that his body had in it… but it was more than he could accomplish.**

**"Her brain has been severely damaged. I… I can't fix it."**

**"But she's still here," Maria said… "I mean… she hasn't turned into dust. You said that yourself, Max. There must be SOME hope."**

**Max shook his head. "Liz is human, Maria… mostly. Anyway, she wouldn't turn into dust."**

**"Oh… yeah… that's right," Maria agreed dejectedly… "But the others haven't turned into dust either, Max."**

**Max thought then turned to Kryys. "Kryys… I know you've done the swirly atom thing before… you told me so… or somebody did. Have you ever tried to heal anybody?"**

**"Me?" Kryys asked, surprised. "I'm not a healer."**

**"Neither is my Kryys at home," Max said, "Not in the traditional sense as we know it… But he can heal people that I could never hope to heal."**

**"How?" Kryys asked.**

**Max sighed. "I really don't know how he does it. He just turns into millions of swirling atoms and passes through the person over and over. As he does, he repairs the cells in their body one at a time. I can't tell you how he does it, but HE doesn't know how he does it either. He only knows that, when he's in that form, he has a connection with the river of time and its eternal knowledge."**

**Kryys looked at Max, and his eyes grew wide. Then he dissolved into a billion glowing, swirling atoms. For a moment, the "room" took on the brightness of a summer day, then the atoms swirled into Liz's body like a billion little atomic stars, passing through her head repeatedly. This continued for slightly over five minutes; then, suddenly, Liz's chest rose.**

**"She's breathing!" Maria exclaimed excitedly. "She's alive!"**

**Andya, Maya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx all rushed to her side, and Andya picked her mother's hand up in her own hands and held it next to her face, as tears rolled down her cheeks.**

**When Kryys had finished with Liz, he moved to Max's double, and the atoms began swirling through his head. Meanwhile, Max discovered that some of the victims had been stabbed, among them, both Alex and Isabel. Max placed his hands over the wound just below Isabel's left breast and concentrated. The wound began to close; and inside Isabel, the tear in her heart closed up. Max concentrated harder, and he felt blood begin to flow and new blood begin to form, replacing the blood that had been lost, as her heart began to pump again. Max took a deep breath and looked at his hands. He didn't know HOW he had been able to jumpstart the creation of new blood… or why the blood still there in her body was still as fresh as the day she had died. The only thing he could imagine was that this "room…" something in this room… or in the strange black water… **

**Max moved to Alex and pressed his hands to Alex's chest. Alex had been relatively lucky… if one can be "dead" and still be considered lucky. The knife had missed his heart. But it had collapsed his lungs, causing suffocation. This was easy for Max to repair, comparatively.**

**Kryys repaired the damage done to his parents, Michael and Maria, who had been shot in the head like Max and Liz, and Max "healed" Kyle, Jeliya, Tess, and Rayylar. Kryys repaired the damage to Jim, Kathleen, Varec, and Amy.**

**It took a total of a little over thirty minutes of continuous effort, but working together, Max and Kryys repaired the damage that had been done to every one of the parents. Now, they only had to wait. The swirling atoms coalesced back into the form of a little boy, and Kryys immediately collapsed onto the soft ground.**

**"What's wrong with him," Zorel asked, alarmed and deeply concerned for his younger brother.**

**Max picked Kryys up and handed him to Maria, Kryys and Zorel's mom's double, to hold. "He's fine," he said to Zorel, "Our Kryys went to sleep right after he finished healing someone the first time, too. It takes a lot out of him; he's still very young. He'll get stronger with time."**

**With nothing more to do but wait, the children sat down on the soft ground to rest, but soon, most of them had dozed off. Shortly after that, most of the group from the New Granolith had dozed off, too. **

**Then all was silent and still in the underwater room…**

**Zorel woke up to the soft touch of a hand on his cheek. He looked up into Maria's eyes, and she smiled. Somehow he knew instinctively that this was not the double who had come on the ship from another dimension. A grin spread rapidly across Zorel's face like a wildfire racing through a dry field… Then he saw Michael standing behind her, smiling.**

**"MOM! DAD!"**

**It may have been Zorel's exuberance… or it may have just been the moment… but Liz opened her eyes and looked around her to find her children all asleep holding onto her hands and arms. Andya had Liz's right hand in her hands pressed against her cheek. Liz smiled and kissed Andya on the cheek as she reclaimed her hand. That woke Andya up, and then the others all woke up.**

**"MOM!" Andya shouted, throwing her arms around Liz's neck and hugging her. Soon, all four of her children had her in their embrace.**

**"Where's your Dad?" Liz asked. Andya pointed to Max, who had not yet awakened. Liz leaned over to Max and kissed him on the lips. Then she lifted her head and looked at his face. Max smiled.**

**"He'll be up soon," Liz said.**

**Within minutes, the entire room was buzzing with joy and celebration as, one after the other, the parents woke up. The rest of the children and the group from the New Granolith had already awakened at the first exuberant screams from Zorel and Andya. **

**"Dad, these are our friends," Zorel said, indicating the group that had come in the New Granolith.**

**Michael nodded. "I know."**

**"You do?" Zorel asked, surprised.**

**Michael nodded then smiled. "I think I dreamed that they had come to help us."**

**tbc**


	11. Chapter 10

**Sliding Into Antar**

**The Beasts And The Children**

**Chapter 10**

**X**

**"Lord Kivar, we are six veskits from Antar. We will be arriving soon."**

**"Good… Very good." Kivar waved his hand dismissively at the captain of his shadow shifters. "You may go, Bezto."**

**Bezto turned to leave but then paused and turned to face Kivar again… "Sire… are you quite certain of your information?"**

**Kivar lifted his head and stared at Bezto with an intensity that made Bezto tremble inside, though it was hardly noticeable in that dark, shadowy form. Then, for some reason that Bezto did not begin to understand, Kivar threw back his head and roared with laughter…**

**"Bezto! I do believe you're jealous of Dunjin!"**

**Bezto's head writhed in the strange, serpentine, ritualistic motion of denial that was customary of the shadow shifters.**

**"Yes! You are!" Kivar insisted. "But don't worry, Bezto… it's one of your better qualities." **

**Kivar laughed again.**

**"Sire, I am not jealous… especially not of a Torvon shapeshifter. The Torvons are vastly inferior to the shadow shifters. I do not understand why you bother with them at all."**

**"They got me information," Kivar said. "Information that eluded your shadow shifters." Kivar's smile disappeared again. "I never intended to allow those brats to inherit Antar, Bezto. You assured me that they would all starve to death or die in the strange storms that have been bedeviling our attempts to return and reclaim the planet. Now I find out that not only are the children still alive but the storms have all been mere illusions… CREATED BY ONE OF THE CHILDREN!"**

**"You are taking the word of Dunjin, Sire… He is of an inferior race… Do not forget that, my lord. His information cannot be trusted… at least without checking it out."**

**"And that is exactly what you are going to do, Bezto… CHECK IT OUT! Do you think you can handle that?"**

**Bezto's head bobbed up and down oddly, looking for all the world like a flickering shadow cast on the wall by dying candlelight.**

**"Good. Now get out of my sight. Let me know when we are two veskits from Antar. I'm looking forward to removing the last traces of Zan's existence from my planet."**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**At the same time, in the strange "room" at the bottom of the black bog, on Antar, questions were flying faster than the remnants of a supernova, as the newly-awakened parents struggled to learn what had happened to them, where they were, and just about everything about the last seven months.**

**"We should go back to the palace and discuss all of this," the newly awakened Max said, taking a deep refreshing breath and letting it out with an audible sigh. "We have to make immediate plans to defend the planet if Kivar tries to return again."**

**"I agree," Michael said, "But let's do it right now… right here. If there ARE enemies among us, we're in the safest possible place right here where we are. Kivar thinks we're dead. I think we should stay that way… at least until we have a plan. If we go back to the palace and our enemies see us, we will have tipped our hand."**

**Max nodded.**

**"Maya… what did you say this place is," Liz asked, turning to her daughter.**

**"It's called 'the healing place,' Mom."**

**"The healing place…" Liz looked around at the children with a baffled look on her face. "Who named it that?"**

**Zorel shrugged… "The pawgors did, I think." **

**"Pawgors can't talk… the last time I heard," Liz said.**

**"Danyy hears them sometimes… when they're thinking," Liz-Jolee said.**

**"Pawgors?" Liz asked.**

**Danyy nodded. "The pawgors know that this is a place that makes them well. I learned it from them."**

**"When were you ever near a pawgor," Liz asked.**

**"Well… I never was," Danyy admitted. "I don't ever see them. I just hear their thoughts sometimes."**

**"All the way at your house?"**

**"No, not that far away, Aunt Liz. Only when I'm here."**

**"And where would 'here' be," Kathleen asked her son.**

**Danyy smiled almost sheepishly… "The Nan-Torel?"**

**Kathleen's jaw dropped… "The Nan-Torel? You've been in the Nan-Torel? Alone?"**

**"No. All of us have, Mom."**

**"Oh my God," Kathleen exclaimed, looking at the children.**

**"We're in the Nan-Torel now," Danyy said.**

**Kathleen looked at her son aghast. "This place… the… the 'healing place…' is in the Nan-Torel?"**

**"It's kind of poetic, isn't it," Jim said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "The most dangerous place on all of Antar… the place that everyone knows as a place of certain death… is also a place that gives life. I like it!"**

**"You've never been in the Nan-Torel before?" Jim from the New Granolith asked his double. The local Jim shook his head.**

**"Then you don't have a pet pawgor?"**

**The local Jim shook his head again and smiled at the utter outrageousness of that thought. So did Danyy.**

**"You can't make a pet out of a pawgor," Danyy said. "That's silly."**

**"Couldn't you talk to them and make them understand that you wanted to be their friend?" Maria from the New Granolith asked.**

**Danyy laughed. "No way! Pawgors don't want to be your friend. I hear their thoughts. They aren't friendly."**

**"Oh, Danyy!" Liz said, "Have we got a surprise for you on our ship!"**

**Maria laughed and nodded.**

**"Well…" Jim said, "In all fairness to Danyy here… and to my double… most pawgors aren't tamable. At least, I don't think grown ones would be. Jung-Jo was young, and the circumstances were unusual. And we didn't tame his mate… Jung-Jo sort of did that himself. And their babies grew up knowing us, but they're all grown up now. I haven't seen them since they went out on their own."**

**"Well, there IS one benefit to our being in the Nan-Torel, the local Michael said. "No enemy who doesn't have a death wish is going to come in here looking for us… not even a shadow shifter. We can talk freely here without worrying that any enemy will hear us. Our only problem is, can we get back out of here ourselves without getting killed now by a pawgor or by any of the other wild or poisonous creatures that live in here?"**

**"We do it all the time," Zorel said proudly, indicating the other children and himself. "Danyy knows when something dangerous is close, so we can avoid it."**

**"You HOPE you can avoid it," the local Kyle corrected.**

**"Well, for now, we're here," Max said. "And Michael is right… we can talk freely here. Let's make the most of it and make some plans while we can."**

**"Do you have any ideas, Max," Jim asked.**

**Max shook his head. "I'm thinking. I don't think very quickly after seven-month naps usually."**

**Maya and Andya giggled, and Liz smiled.**

**Michael turned and looked at Jiba… "You've been scaring ships away with your illusions… your mind warps… ever since we were… we were… injured?" Michael couldn't quite bring himself to say, "killed," but in his mind, he knew that they had been… in every conventionally-known meaning of the word. **

**Jiba nodded. "We thought we should try to keep them from coming back."**

**"Sounds like excellent logic to me!" Kyle said.**

**Michael nodded. "It was a great idea. It still is. For now, at least, do you think you could keep doing that, Jiba? Only maybe check with me or Max to make sure it's a ship that we WANT to chase away."**

**Jiba nodded and smiled. **

**"How did you know when a ship was coming," Isabel asked.**

**Jiba grinned… "Maya can sense the people on the ship before they ever get here… and sometimes she can hear their thoughts if she tries."**

**"That's right," Liz said. "Maya can do that."**

**Michael nodded then turned to Tess… "You can help Jiba… if Kivar or his shapeshifters try to come back, right, Tess?"**

**Tess nodded enthusiastically. "With the show Jiba and I can give them, they'll never come back again."**

**Michael smiled. "I wish that were true. But I kind of doubt that Kivar will just go away and stay away. He's not stupid. Eventually, he'll figure out what's going on, and we'll need to have another plan in place before that happens."**

**"I agree," Max said. "Zorel… was anyone else killed… besides us?"**

**"I don't know," Zorel said, shaking his head. "I don't think so."**

**The crew from the New Granolith listened to that statement with a puzzled reaction…**

**"We didn't see anyone at all except the children when we got here in our ship," Max said. "We assumed… naturally… that Kivar had killed everyone… or at least that he had killed a lot of the people."**

**"No, he didn't," Zorel said, shaking his head and grinning. "That was one of Jiba's mind warps. After they attacked our parents, she made everyone else disappear so the shadow shifters couldn't find them."**

**"Well, actually," Jiba said, correcting Zorel humbly, "I didn't make everyone disappear… That would be too hard for me. I just made Kivar and the shadow shifters… and you… not see them."**

**Kyle laughed. "She's reached enlightenment! Genuine humility is**** a virtue. It's one of the ten sacred qualities outlined by Avalokite Bodhisattva, the Buddha of Compassion… along with the four noble states of mind: love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.****"**

**"It's gotta be a Kyle thing in every dimension," Michael said, rolling his eyes.**

**"Well, if I made everyone disappear," Jiba said, "Even if I could, then they wouldn't be able to see each other or even see themselves. But if I put a mind warp on people that I don't want to see them, then only those people can't see them."**

**"She's got a point," Isabel said with a grin.**

**"Seems like you've got everything all figured out… Are you sure you guys need us," Kyle asked jokingly."**

**"YEAH, WE DO," every one of the children exclaimed at the same time, sounding like a chorus.**

**Maria and Liz looked at each other and started laughing. "I'd like to have that recorded so I could play it back from time to time," Liz said, hugging her children. Maria nodded and wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye, as she and all the other parents hugged their children, too.**

**Rayyn and Taz put their arms around Kyle's waist and held onto him. "We need you, Dad. Don't ever let something bad happen to you again."**

**Kyle started to laugh, but somehow it caught in his throat and he couldn't speak. He bent down and put both arms around his children and nodded. "I'll try real hard not to. I promise."**

**"Okay, here's the deal," Max said, after everyone had found their voices again, "Jiba and Tess will do their thing if Kivar and the shadow shifters try to come back again. If that fails… and eventually, I have to agree with Michael, Kivar is bound to catch on to us… then Jiba and Tess will make everyone invisible, including themselves… and us. That will at least give us an equal fighting chance with the shadow shifters, because for all practical purposes, they can become invisible by melting into walls and popping out as we go by. I think we can take them. We just need to have a fighting chance."**

**Michael nodded. "We can take Kivar. And we can take all his shadow shifters, too. They won't have an insurmountable advantage anymore."**

**Max looked around the room. There were nods from all of the parents.**

**"Then it's settled," Max said. "Let's go home."**

**"We can stay and help you," Max from the other dimension said.**

**His double shook his head. "Thanks… but you've done more than we could ever ask you to do for us already. Besides, it's not your fight… and we don't know when they'll come back… or how long Jiba and Tess' mind warps will keep them fooled. You could be here for a very long time."**

**Max swallowed and nodded. As much as he wanted to help their doubles here, this Max was right. Nobody knew how long it would be before Kivar would come back… or when he would finally catch on to the fake storms and attack them. It could be weeks, months… or even years.**

**"I do hope that you'll stay with us for a few days, though, at least," Max said, "So that we can thank you properly and get to know you better."**

**"Yes… absolutely!" Liz agreed.**

**"Well… I don't know," Max said, looking at his own Liz and at the other crew members. He knew that they were all dying to get home. "Maybe we might stay one more day… two at the most."**

**Max smiled. "Welcome to Antar, friends." Then he turned to Zorel… "How do we get out of here?"**

**"Follow me," Zorel said, with a big grin.**

**Zorel and the other children led the adults over the soft, spongy ground a distance of about three hundred feet then pointed to a gently sloping rise ahead of them…**

**"Walk up that hill. It takes you out of the bog."**

**Max nodded and looked around to make sure that everyone was with him, then he started walking up the rise behind Zorel and the children. The others followed. As they walked up the slope, Max noticed that something did not seem right… water was appearing under their feet. In fact, the further up the rise they went, the deeper the water became, until finally, it was above their knees. **

**Max stopped Zorel… "Zorel, I know I've been asleep for seven months, and maybe I'm still a little confused, but if we're going UP, shouldn't the water be getting shallower, not deeper? Maybe we're going the wrong way."**

**"We're in a room under the water," Zorel reminded Max.**

**"Yeah, I understand that," Max said… "I do. I thought we would have to go into the water… or through the water… or something… but it should be above us. We should have to go through it… above us… but the water seems to be rising from beneath us instead. How can it be rising from below us if we're going up… through it? Does that make any sense?"**

**"We didn't try to figure it out," Maya said. "We just did it… because the pawgors can do it."**

**"The faith of a child," Alex said, smiling. "It takes the faith of a child to get out of here."**

**"Or a pawgor," Jim said.**

**Kyle nodded. "Bless the beasts and the children."**

**The others looked at Kyle, and he smiled…**

**"The beasts and the children… It's something I heard somewhere… in a song I think."**

**tbc**


	12. Chapter 11

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Kivar's Final Vengeance**

**Chapter 11**

**XI**

**Zorel led the group upward along the cushiony path… further and further toward the surface of the bog… but the water only got deeper and deeper as they ascended. Max knew that logically this was not what should be happening. If they were in an air-filled chamber beneath the waters of the bog, then they needed to go through the water to reach the surface. But the water should be above them, not rising beneath them. Kyle had been right. Whatever the secret of the bog was, it took the unassuming innocence of a child… or an animal like the pawgor… to get out.**

**The water was already up to Max's chest, and he glanced back and saw that several of the shorter individuals were barely able to still walk and keep their heads above water anymore. Max stopped and called out to Zorel, who was in front of him and was swimming now.**

**"Zorel… what's going on? Are we going to have to swim to get out?"**

**Zorel laughed and turned toward Max, while treading water. "You don't have to swim. Just duck your head under the water."**

**"Duck…? Okay… and then what?"**

**"Just duck your head under the water."**

**Max held his breath and ducked under the water, but as quickly as his head went under, it popped right back to the surface. Max opened his eyes and wiped the water off of his face then looked around for Zorel. That's when he realized that he was no longer in the underwater chamber. He was on the top… on the real surface… and all around him was the dense, jungle-like Nan-Torel. **

**But where was everyone else?**

**For a moment, Max panicked and began reaching into the dark waters all around him for a hand, an arm, any sign of the others who had been with him. He found nothing but water. Alarmed, Max dove head first into the bog…**

**Ouch! For water that he had sunk straight to the bottom in earlier, it was pretty danged hard on this side of the bog. It felt like it shoved Max right back to the surface. He started to dive again, but a hand touched him…**

**"Max? Where were you? You disappeared for several moments there," Liz said, with concern evident in her voice. Max looked around. He was once again in the chamber under the bog, up to his chest in water. It didn't make any sense at all.**

**Michael laughed. "Don't try to figure it out, Max. Like Zorel said, you just have to trust in some things."**

**"I'm not a blindly trusting person," Max said, wiping the water off his face. "I like to know what I'm trusting in and why I'm trusting in it."**

**"Yeah, I know. Me, too," Michael confided. "But I think this is challenging my conceptions."**

**Max nodded. "Yeah."**

**"What did you see," Liz asked.**

**"The surface… the trees," Max replied. "If you duck under the water, you pop up on the surface. Don't ask me how. It's gonna drive me crazy for a long time trying to figure it out."**

**Liz ducked her head under the water… then Maria ducked under. After them, the others, one by one, ducked under, too; and as each one did, he or she disappeared beneath the water and did not return. Finally, only Max and Michael were left.**

**Max shrugged. "Shall we?"**

**Michael ducked under the water, and Max followed. When he popped up, he was on the surface again, but this time everyone else was there as well. They were still standing in chest deep water, but instead of being in the underwater chamber, they… or at least their heads… were above the surface.**

**"I'm assuming that if we walk toward the shore now, we'll walk out of the water?" Max asked Zorel. Zorel nodded, still treading water.**

**Max started walking toward the shore, and the others followed. As they went, the water got shallower and shallower… until they literally simply walked out of the bog.**

**"Woo hoo! Land!" Alex yelled, doing a little dance on the shore, with a huge grin on his face.**

**Max looked around. "I hate to ask what is probably a stupid question… but how are we going to get back to the south side of the bog again? The jungle growth to the east and west looks impassable to me… We can't go around to get back to the path…"**

**"Wait… Don't tell me! You kids fly! Right?" Max said, smiling at what he clearly intended as a joke.**

**"No, that's silly," Liz-Jolee said. "We can't fly."**

**Max chuckled. "Well, that's good to know… I think." **

**Zorel looked at the surface of the bog for a moment then carefully put one foot on it… Then he put the other foot behind the first one. Then he took another step out onto the water and turned around and smiled.**

**Max threw up his hands. "Of course! You walk on water! Why didn't I know that?"**

**The children laughed.**

**"No, silly," little Jayyd said, taking Max's hand and leading him to the edge where Zorel had stepped off. "There are stepping stones under the water. You just have to look for them."**

**Max knelt down on one knee and placed his hand on the water. Sure enough… just below the water… not even a quarter of an inch below the surface… there was something hard. It appeared to be about two and a half feet wide and equally as long, but try as Max might, he could not see it. It was black in a black water bog, and it looked exactly like the water. For all practical purposes, it was invisible.**

**"Do these… stepping stones… go all the way across," Max asked. Jayyd smiled and nodded.**

**"Come on," Maya said, taking Liz by the hand, "We'll lead you across."**

**"How do you know where to step," Liz asked, straining to see anything at all in the black water, with no more success than Max had had.**

**"You can't see the stepping stones," Jayyd replied, "You just have to feel them with your feet."**

**"And if you miss one?" Maria asked.**

**Jayyd smiled. "You go to the bottom and start over again."**

**"Don't miss one," Taz said with a grin.**

**Liz nodded and looked at Maria, and both of them stepped onto the first stone with Maya. As they proceeded, stepping onto the second stone, Andya and JoLeesa followed them. Then, one by one, the others walked out onto the water, too, most of them being guided by their children. Max and Zorel, meanwhile, were just reaching the other side, and Max stepped onto the ground and turned around to see how everyone else was coming. Slowly, the parents and children inched along followed by the group from the New Granolith… in all, some 40 adults and children. Kyle reached the other side and turned around and looked back, then shook his head in disbelief as he watched the rest of the group cross the bog, each person appearing for all the world to be walking on the water…**

**"Incredible…"**

**Soon, everyone was on the south side of the bog, where they had first gone into the water. With everyone safely on the shore, Max turned to look for the path that led back out of the Nan-Torel, but as he walked away from the bog, he froze suddenly in his tracks. Michael moved to the side a couple of steps to see what had made Max stop, and he froze, too.**

**"Don't anyone move," Michael whispered, standing as still as a Nan-Torel rock tortoise. Not twenty feet in front of him and Max, on the path, was a full-grown male pawgor, saber teeth and all. It stood there, almost chest high to Max and Michael, motionless, its eyes burning into Max and Michael's eyes with a searing heat and intensity.**

**Despite the discomfort, which was probably psychological, Michael stared directly into the huge cat's eyes, not daring to look away or even to blink. So did Max. The pawgor NEVER blinked, a fact that was disconcerting to both Max and Michael, who wanted badly to blink but couldn't. Their eyes seemed to burn and quickly began to water, but neither dared to move. Both Max and Michael were prepared to raise their hands quickly and blast the pawgor if it moved toward anyone. But what happened next was totally unexpected. Without warning, the pawgor averted its eyes… then it slowly walked forward, dragging its left rear leg, which appeared, now that they saw it, to have been grievously wounded. The pawgor might have been in a fight with another pawgor… or it might have been wounded by a falling tree or attacked by flesh-eating rob-jetta bats as it slept… or any of a million other things that could befall even the mightiest creatures of the always-dangerous Nan-Torel. But today, this pawgor clearly did not intend to fight unless it was provoked. And Max and Michael had no desire to provoke it. **

**The pawgor walked to the edge of the bog and, without ever looking back, simply laid down and rolled into the water, sinking immediately out of sight in the dark bog. It looked like some kind of strange suicide, but Max and Michael knew better.**

**"Zorel…" Max called. Zorel came running.**

**"How long will it take that pawgor to heal… till it comes back out?"**

**Zorel shrugged. "A few hours, at least… maybe a whole day… I think."**

**"Good. Let's be gone before it comes back out all fixed up like new and hungry again, okay?"**

**Everyone was nodding.**

**"Lead the way," Max said to Zorel. "You kids are the ones who know how to get back out of here." Zorel smiled and hurried off down the trail, and Max and the others followed, leaving the black bog and its mysteries behind them.**

**They had walked for almost an hour along the trail when Maya suddenly stopped and let out a small cry. Liz immediately rushed to her daughter's side…**

**"Maya? What's wrong, Honey? Did something happen?"**

**Maya shook her head. "They're coming back."**

**"Who's coming back," Liz asked, as Max and Michael gathered around them with the others.**

**"Kivar… and the shadow shifters. They're coming back."**

**Liz gasped and looked up at the sky, but the ship was still too far away to see… wherever it was.**

**"Can I do the mind warp," Jiba asked.**

**Max looked at the sky and thought about it, but only for a brief moment. Then he nodded to Jiba. "Do it. Let me know if they go away or if they keep coming."**

**"They always go away," Zorel said. "Jiba scares them."**

**Max nodded. "I know, but I just have a bad feeling about it this time. Kivar is evil, but he's not stupid. He will figure out that the illusions are only a mind warp eventually… and when he does, he won't go away."**

** 88888888888888888888**

**As Max spoke, half a light year away, in space, a different conversation was taking place…**

**"Lord Kivar, we are two veskits from Antar. You requested that I let you know when we had reached this point."**

**"Very good, Bezto." **

**Kivar waved his hand dismissively at the captain of his shadow shifter minions then walked to the fore window of his ship and stood there, gazing into space, with his hands behind his back. Exactly three minutes later, as expected, Antar came into sight. At the speed the ship was traveling, it took only another two and a half minutes to reach the atmosphere. Kivar nodded and smiled.**

**"They've begun. They know we're coming, Bezto. Look at my planet… enveloped in dark clouds and electrical storms that would scare off the most fearless of travelers. Actually, I kind of like it, you know, in a way. I wish I could keep the one who is doing this. Her illusions could be… useful."**

**"You can do that," Bezto said frankly. "I am still not convinced that Dunjin has given you correct information, but if one of the children is creating these… manifestations… why not just take the child and train it as your own. My army and I will eliminate the others."**

**Kivar sighed. "If it were only so easy, Bezto. These children are not just any children. They're the offspring of Zan and Rath… and the other royals. They will fight together… and die together. I am under no illusions that one can be willingly separated from the others."**

**"I didn't say that it would have to be willingly, Lord Kivar. Simply take the child. I know you have very effective methods for altering the minds and thoughts of your enemies. I am certain that in no time the child will be calling you father and doing your bidding… quite happily."**

**"Perhaps," Kivar said, mulling the thought over in his mind. "But it is also possible that she will become a useless shell, her brain burned out by the… methods I use."**

**"I don't see a problem," Bezto said. "In that case, you simply discard her. You will be no worse off for having tried."**

**Kivar was silent. Clearly, Bezto's words had caused him to consider the possibility, though he still considered the success of such a gambit a long shot.**

**"Very well, Bezto. Find the girl. Bring her to me and kill the rest. Dispose of them as you see fit. Some of them are hybridized and may not disintegrate properly."**

**Bezto nodded and smiled. "It will be as you wish, my lord."**

**"Take the air skimmer and leave now… Take two… no, three… of your shadow shifters with you. That should be enough to capture one little girl." Kivar stared at Bezto defiantly, as though daring him to contradict him, but Bezto only nodded and smiled. He had no doubt whatsoever that with three of his shadow shifters or alone, he would have no problem at all capturing Jiba and terminating the others. They were, after all, mere children… and an inferior race. To the shadow shifters, all other races were inferior, including Kivar himself, but some exceptions had to be tolerated for expediency.**

**Bezto left Kivar's presence and immediately departed from the ship with two of his shadow shifters. Two would be more than enough. Of this, he was quite certain. Kivar, meanwhile, remained in front of the window, admiring the fury of Jiba's storms, which increased mightily the closer the ship came to Antar. **

**"It's about time for some fireworks," Kivar mused aloud, "A few fireballs and maybe some crashing meteors…" As if on cue, several meteors appeared at once, all heading in the direction of Kivar's ship. **

**"So predictable," Kivar sighed. "I don't know how I was ever fooled by these childish tricks. Where are the fireballs?"**

**As he looked, fireballs broke off from the meteors and sped toward the ship. But this time, instead of taking evasive action and fleeing as in the past, Kivar stood his ground and smiled. Kor'Voyl, the sub-captain of the shadow shifters, who had just appeared on the bridge, watched, too, somewhat more nervously, and several other shadow shifters standing near the door watched very nervously. Suddenly three of the fireballs struck the ship, causing near panic among the shadow shifters at the door and causing Kor'Voyl to swallow and close his eyes momentarily, but Kivar only smiled. The fireballs passed right through the ship without causing any damage… **

**"You see, Kor'Voyl? Dunjin was right. It's all illusions. None of it can harm us.**

**The shadow shifter sub-captain smiled… in the strange way that shadow shifters smiled… but he did smile. At that moment, the first of the three meteors crashed head on into the ship… and disappeared into nothingness. Again, much to Kivar's pleasure, the ship was untouched. **

**There was nothing that pleased Kivar more than always being right… unless it was always getting his way, but that was almost a given. Always being right was harder.**

**Within moments, the other two meteors crashed into the ship, too… with the same result… nothing. For a few brief moments, Kivar was almost giddy with the knowledge that he would soon have complete control of Antar, finally and decisively, and the children who had been a thorn in his side for so long would be gone… dealt with… equally finally and decisively.**

**"Lord Kivar, another meteor is coming," Kor'Voyl said, pointing into the distance. "It's bigger than the other three."**

**"Doesn't matter," Kivar replied, grinning with anticipation. "An illusion is an illusion, whether it's the size of a fireball, a meteor, or a planet… Ignore it."**

**Kor'Voyl watched nervously as the meteor grew larger… and closer…**

**"This one looks different…"**

**"Of course it looks different! You don't think she would try the same illusions again, do you? Even a child has more brains than you, Kor'Voyl! She's varying her arsenal. It doesn't matter. Illusions are illusions."**

**Kor'Voyl shook his head. "This one looks different, Lord Kivar!"**

**Kivar sighed. "How?"**

**Kor'Voyl shook his head… "I… I'm not sure. The others increased in size at irregular intervals… They seemed to suddenly get a little larger every few seconds or so… but this one is increasing in size with regularity."**

**Kivar nodded and smiled. "She's learning! Bravo! She may be more useful to me than I thought… I hope she survives the brain purges."**

**Kivar and Kor'Voyl watched, as the meteor tumbled through the sky toward the ship, growing larger and larger. It was traveling fast… incredibly fast… and now they could see that it was easily three times the size of the ship. As the meteor reached them, Kivar thought, for the briefest of moments, that he could feel heat radiating outward in front of it.**

** 88888888888888888888**

**Near the edge of the Nan-Torel below, a small group of individuals looked upward, watching the fireworks. When Kivar's ship had appeared in the sky, far in the distance, a couple of minutes earlier, Jiba had begun throwing her illusions at it.**

**"Ooh, look at that one!" little Jayyd yelled, pointing at the large meteor when it appeared in the distant sky."**

**"I like that one," Zorel said, patting Jiba on the back. "It tumbles. It's awesome!"**

**Jiba shook her head. "I didn't make that one."**

**Everyone turned to look at Jiba. "What do you mean, you didn't make that one," Michael asked.**

**"I didn't make it. It's real, I think."**

**"I think I made it," Andya said, looking sheepish.**

**The others turned to Andya. "I didn't know you could make illusions," Zorel said, surprised.**

**"I can't," Andya said.**

**"But she can create real animals… well, almost real," Liz said. **

**"Yeah, she does that good!" Zorel agreed.**

**Max looked at the meteor. It was moving incredibly fast. It would collide with Kivar's ship in twenty seconds or less, Max estimated… if Kivar didn't move his ship fast.**

**"Is that meteor solid," Max asked Andya. "I mean, will it be like the illusions or will it… you know…?"**

**"It's solid, I think," Andya said. "I never created an inanimate object before, so I'm not sure."**

**Michael raised his eyebrows. "Well, for an inanimate object, that one is pretty animated. It's really trucking!" Michael started to count down, and everyone held their breath…**

**"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"**

**"Ooh, this is gonna be big!" Zorel said.**

**"Three, two, one…" **

**The sky lit up in a huge fireball, and there was a blinding light that forced everyone to cover their eyes, as the meteor struck the ship head on. Michael could picture Kivar standing there, staring at the huge rock, as it literally rolled over him. **

**But when they looked up again, the sky was clearing already. The flames and blinding light were dissipating, and the remnants of the huge meteor winked out and disappeared just like all the illusions had before. **

**"Where's the ship," Liz asked.**

**"I don't see it," Max said.**

**"I don't think we're going to," Michael mused. **

**"But the meteor vanished," Kyle said. "It wasn't real."**

**Michael nodded. "It was real enough… when it rolled over Kivar. Andya got rid of what was left of it after it broke up from the explosion of the ship."**

**"I didn't want the pieces to hit Antar," Andya said.**

**Max smiled. "That was very good thinking, Andya. Excellent thinking! I'm going to have to make you my special defense minister… of inanimate and animate creations."**

**Andya smiled.**

**"And you," Max said to Jiba. "I'm going to have to make you my special defense minister of most awesome illusions."**

**"What about me?" Zorel asked.**

**Max nodded and grinned. "You can be the protector of the black bog and royal Nan-Torel guide."**

**"Awesome!" Zorel exclaimed.**

**Max turned to Danyy… "And since you heard the pawgors' thoughts and found out about the black bog in the first place, you will be my new minister of pawgor communications and black bog therapy."**

**Danyy grinned. "Awesome!"**

**"Don't start any HMO's," Alex joked.**

**Danyy looked puzzled.**

**"Never mind," Alex said with a grin. "It was a joke."**

**tbc**

**Coming up: Lest we forget about Bezto…**


	13. Chapter 12

**Sliding Into Antar**

**The Shadow**

**Chapter 12**

**XII**

**"Zorel, as my new royal Nan-Torel guide, I'm giving you a job… Lead us home."**

**"Yes, sir, Uncle Max! I mean… yes, sir… King… Zan… sir…"**

**Max smiled. "_Uncle Max_ will be fine, Zorel… for you and all the children."**

**"Yes, sir, Uncle Max!"**

**Zorel turned and walked down the path. "We're almost out of the Nan-Torel now, Uncle Max. It's only a few more minutes."**

**"Good," Max said. "I'm looking forward to getting back to the palace. I have this odd feeling like I've been gone for a long time."**

**Liz smiled and nodded, taking Max's arm in hers and holding on to it. Everyone knew what Max was feeling… They felt it, too. It was eerie waking up as though it were only the next day, yet somehow knowing… and feeling… deep inside… that a considerable amount of time had actually passed while they "slept." Of course, the feeling had been confirmed by the children and the group from the New Granolith. **

**"Max… is there something strange about the shadows in the Nan-Torel," Isabel asked nervously. "I keep seeing shadows in the trees where there shouldn't be shadows… I think."**

**Max looked around, clearly concerned. His mind still retained memories of his killer…**

**_Max had walked right up to the wall and touched it, thinking that there was a light stain on the wall that would need to be cleaned. He had never even suspected that anything sinister was afoot. Max had been the first one killed. The shadow shifter had simply emerged from the wall like a shadow and fired a type of pulse beam into Max's head at point blank range before Max realized what was happening. Max felt a sharp pain, as part of his brain exploded inside his head, then nothing… until he woke up… nothing, at least, that he remembered now. Only feelings._**

**"I saw a shadow on that tree over there just a moment ago," Alex said, pointing the tree out for Max. Max nodded and glanced at Michael. Michael nodded back. Then both of them raised their hands and fired two blasts into the tree. The tree slowly fell over and crashed to the ground… but the shadow remained standing.**

**Not for long.**

**Lending their doubles a hand… literally… Max and Michael from the New Granolith both fired blasts directly into the stunned shadow, and it caught fire and began to burn like an oily rag, which, in a strange way, it somewhat resembled.**

**Now, there was no longer any doubt. The shadow shifters were back… and they were among them. Max had no way of knowing… no idea at all… how many of them there might be. But he wasn't taking any chances. Not after what the shadow shifters had already proven themselves capable of… not with the lives of all the children and his entire circle of friends in his hands and in jeopardy. Michael seemed to have the same thought as Max. Both of them turned to the group…**

**"Go back! Go back into the Nan-Torel, everybody!" **

**"I don't think they'll follow us in very far," Max said, "Most beings have a deathly fear of the Nan-Torel."**

**Michael nodded. "I'm surprised they came in this far."**

**Together, Max and Michael rushed everyone back down the trail in the direction of the bog. For fifteen minutes, they saw no more shadows that looked out of place, but then Zorel spotted something high in a tree. It looked like a rob-jetta bat, swooping from one tree to another, but Zorel had never seen a rob-jetta in this sector of the Nan-Torel…**

**"Dad," Zorel said, tugging on Michael's arm and pointing into the tree. Michael saw it and nodded. A moment later, a blast from the palm of Michael's hand sent the "rob-jetta" tumbling and spiraling to the ground. Two Maxes, two Michaels, and two Jim Valentis were immediately on top of the black form, which writhed eerily on the ground for several moments before turning back into its natural form, something between an oily rag and an oily humanoid. **

**The shadow shifter must have thought he was seeing double as he opened his eyes, though it is possible that he had already figured out that there were two of each of them, since he had been following them for some time already in the tree tops.**

**"Kivar is dead," Michael said emphatically, in case the shadow shifter had not seen what happened. "You don't have a master anymore. What do you want with us?"**

**The shadow shifter writhed again, momentarily attempting… unsuccessfully… to change its shape, before answering in defeat, but still with the false pride and superior attitude typical of his species… "Kivar is not my master."**

**"You serve him blindly… You do his bidding," Michael said, "That makes him your master."**

**"Convenience," the shadow shifter mumbled, "Kivar has power. We want it."**

**"Not now he doesn't," Jim said. "He's splattered all over the front of an asteroid… along with his ship. I don't think you want to be like him."**

**"We saw what happened," the shadow shifter muttered, "But we did not need Kivar. He needed us."**

**"Symbiotic parasites," Kyle said, "That's what you both are… or were… symbiotic parasites. You fed off of each other… But you don't have Kivar anymore."**

**"How many of you are there here on Antar right now," Jim asked.**

**The shadow shifter did not reply.**

**"Oh well," Michael said, raising his palm and aiming it at the dark form on the ground. "I guess you saw what happened to your companion back there. What are you guys made of… oil and gas?"**

**The shadow shifter writhed on the ground, clearly appearing to be distressed. He attempted yet again to shift but apparently still could not change his form. Michael's power blast had stunned and addled him too deeply.**

**"There are fifty-three of us," the shadow shifter replied. It was a half-truth. There had been fifty-three, but fifty of them were on the ship when it was demolished. One more had burned up after being hit by Max and Michael's power blast. There was only this one left now… and one other one that was still at large. But Max and Michael had no way of knowing this.**

**"Fifty-three!" Kyle exclaimed. "What are we going to do, Max? We'll be out here forever."**

**"As long as it takes," Michael said with determination. "If there are fifty-three, then we stay as long as it takes… till all of them are dead. We get them one at a time if we have to." Michael raised his hand again. "We can make that fifty-two right now."**

**"No!" the shadow shifter yelled, cringing. "No… I can give you information… information you need."**

**"What information would you have that we would care about," Michael asked, pretending disinterest.**

**"How many of us there are… still alive… and who it is."**

**Michael lowered his hand, and the glow in his palm ebbed… "Alright… tell me… but make it convincing. I'm getting tired of discharging like this. I need to blast something. It's frustrating getting all up and then having to hold it."**

**A smile tugged at the corner of Max's mouth, but he struggled to maintain his stern look.**

**"There is only me left… and Bezto," the shadow shifter said, "The others were all… on the ship."**

**"Well, that's better odds," Kyle said. "Maybe we won't have to be out here forever after all."**

**"But can we trust him," Alex asked, "I know I don't."**

**"I don't either," Max said, "But I have a gut feeling that he's telling us the truth. I don't know why."**

**"It doesn't matter," the shape shifter said, "Bezto will kill all of you. You will not be able to find Bezto… or defeat him. He will be there when you least expect it. He will come from nowhere. He will be unseen… until it is too late."**

**"We'll see," Michael said. "We'll see."**

**Michael had barely spoken when the ground rose up at his feet, and his own shadow lunged at him, grabbing him around the throat. There was a knife in its left hand. Michael saw it coming but didn't have time to react. The knife came up and passed across Michael's throat with a speed that was unexpected. Fortunately, Max saw it coming, too, and from where he was standing, he WAS able to react in time. A blast of power sheared off a small portion of the attacking shadow and sent it scurrying into the trees. It had left Michael bleeding from a serious, but not fatal, gash that Max was able to quickly heal, even as Michael protested that he deserved it. Michael was furious with himself for not getting the creature, and Max was annoyed at himself for not making a direct hit, but he had been concerned that he might hit Michael by accident. He was, after all, trying to kill Michael's shadow, as weird as that seemed.**

**Even worse, Michael looked around and discovered that the other shadow shifter had disappeared while they had been distracted by Bezto. That fact, on top of everything else, probably would have elicited some interesting word choices from Michael's occasionally interesting vocabulary; but before that could happen, he got a glimpse of something shadowy flying through the trees. Unexpectedly, it turned and headed straight for him. This time Michael WAS ready, and he spun toward the attacker and blasted it. It was a perfect, dead center shot. A huge hole opened up in the center of the oily creature and began to burn, quickly consuming the shadowy mass, which Max and Michael could now see was the one they had had on the ground and not Bezto.**

**"Wow, that felt so good," Michael said, looking relieved.**

**Max smiled. "Would you like a cigarette?"**

**Michael gave Max a strange look. "Max, you're losing it."**

**"Just checking," Max said.**

**"Do you still believe him," Alex asked Max. "Do you think that Bezto is the last one left?"**

**"I don't know," Max said honestly. "These shadow shifters have pursued us deep into the Nan-Torel. There's almost nothing that will come in here… even them, usually. I just don't know what they're capable of anymore."**

**Max turned to Michael… "Let's get everybody back to the bog. If someone does get hurt, you'll be able to do something about it… if something happens to me."**

**"Don't talk like that," Liz retorted.**

**"Reality check," Max said, sighing. Then he put his arm around Liz. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound harsh, but reality can be harsh, Liz. I have to face the fact that something could happen to me… and make contingency plans for the safety of the group."**

**Liz put two fingers on Max's lips… "I know… but I don't have to like it."**

**Max smiled and kissed her. "No… you don't have to like it. But I don't intend to just roll over, Liz. They'll have to drag me down fighting if they get me again. I promise you that."**

**As the group walked on toward the bog, the conversation dwelt on the eerie way the shadow shifter had simply replaced Michael's shadow. It unnerved them all, and more than once, each one found himself or herself staring suspiciously at his or her own shadow. The children seemed especially concerned about their shadows, occasionally jumping on them or kicking them… Liz and Max's son, Alyyx, pelted his shadow with rocks from time to time… just to be sure.**

**They all knew that, somewhere out there, Bezto was watching and waiting for just the right moment to strike again. It wasn't a question of "if" but of "when." **

**"I don't understand what Bezto has to gain from killing us now," Alex said. "Kivar's dead, so what's his motivation, anyway?"**

**"I think Bezto has this pride thing," Michael said. "He can't let go until the job is done."**

**"That's probably true," Jim agreed, "But I think there's more to it than just that."**

**Max nodded… "Well, the other shadow shifter did say that they wanted the power for themselves… and that they didn't need Kivar, he needed them."**

**"You think the shadow shifters want to take over Antar?" Isabel asked.**

**"I think that's a very real possibility," Max said. "At least, I think Bezto wants to take over Antar."**

**Michael nodded. "I have to agree. Bezto wants something, and it has to be big. He doesn't bother with small potatoes. If he wants something on Antar, it's probably Antar."**

**"So he'll keep trying to kill us… and Max, especially," Maria surmised thoughtfully.**

**"I'd say that's a pretty safe bet," Jim agreed. "We have to get Bezto before he gets any of us. If we get Bezto, now that his army's gone, too, there won't be any more shadow shifters left here… and I don't think the ones back on their planet will bother coming here again."**

**"Unless another Kivar or Bezto comes along someday," Alex said.**

**Max nodded. "But Jim's right. If we get Bezto, we'll probably have peace on Antar, now that Kivar is gone."**

**"Peace… without Kivar… without shadow shifters…" Isabel mused longingly. "Can it possibly be true? I've dreamed of that."**

**"On our Antar in our dimension, Alex from the New Granolith said, "we have had peace ever since Kivar was killed. There have been other problems, especially from the Ghors, but basically, our planet has been at peace… And largely because of Michael, we have over three hundred new allied planets now. The strength of our peace has never been greater than it is today."**

**Max from the present dimension turned and looked at Alex. "I long for the day when I can say that. We have had relative peace here since Kivar was sent packing, but he's made other attempts to return. The threat has always been at our doorstep, and then, of course… this happened." Max was referring to their murders at the hands of the shadow shifters. "Maybe now that Kivar is gone, finally, we can have a real and lasting peace."**

**As Max spoke, Varec and Amy's daughter, Liz-Jolee, began jumping on her shadow. **

**"I thought I saw it move."**

**"Were you moving when you saw it move?" Varec asked with a smile.**

**Liz-Jolee nodded. **

**"It's all right," Amy said, picking Liz-Jolee up, "We're all a little spooked by everything right now.**

**Alyyx looked around for several stones that were just the right size and threw them at Liz-Jolee and Amy's shadow, but they were only shadows. He noticed another large stone and picked it up to throw it, too, but this one failed to fly out of his hand. Instead, Alyyx Evans found himself in the clutches of Bezto, who had been lying on the path waiting, in the form of a stone… the precise type and size of stone that the boy had been picking up and throwing at shadows as he walked. Bezto had been watching and plotting. And now he had his bait.**

**Bezto did not wait to be hit by another power blast from Max or Michael. Holding the child close to him to dissuade them from firing at him, he quickly leapt behind a large boulder with his hostage. Max and Michael both knew that they could easily blast the boulder apart, but that might kill Alyyx.**

**"Give us the boy," Michael yelled. "He's not the one you want. Take me."**

**Maria gasped and held tightly onto Michael's arm, but she didn't say anything.**

**"The boy is mine," Bezto said from behind the boulder. "I will kill him at my leisure."**

**"No! Don't!" Max yelled, swallowing hard, as Liz held his arm and cried, terrified for her son's safety.**

**"I could be convinced to let him go… if you were to take his place, Zan."**

**"I'll take his place," Liz cried. "Take me and let him go."**

**Max shook his head at Liz and hugged her, then he released her and walked toward the boulder himself. At the same time, he looked at Michael, and Michael nodded, understanding.**

**Bezto smiled to himself, seeing his plan coming together. What Bezto did not notice was Max and Michael's signals… He also did not notice two children whispering to each other.**

**Danyy smiled and nodded at Andya, and Andya closed her eyes and concentrated. Then Danyy concentrated, too.**

**Suddenly, a 14-foot-long ****red snake with a light mint-green belly, an electric blue zigzag pattern on its sides, and****small, brightly glowing luminescent greenish spots all over ****fell out of the tree behind Bezto, landing right on his unsuspecting shoulders.**** The snake immediately slid down over Bezto's arms, pinning them to his sides.**

**Bezto struggled unsuccessfully to get free, and in his struggling, he accidentally managed to cause the tip of the snake's tail to touch its head, forming a complete circuit. As soon as this happened, the entire snake lit up like an atom bomb that had just exploded, throwing a roaring sheet of flames high into the air… a sheet of flames so intense that it went right through both Bezto and Alyyx's bodies, allowing everyone to actually see Alyyx's skeleton and Bezto's odd interior physiology in a sort of X-ray effect… and making it momentarily appear that both had been vaporized. This elicited gasps from most of the group…**

**Slowly, both Alyyx and Bezto returned to their normal opaque state, and the radiation-like glow all over their bodies started to subside. Completely freaked out by what had just happened, Bezto shapeshifted into a small bat, slipped out of the snake's noose, and flew off, disappearing before Max or Michael could hit him with a power blast.**

**"Damn!" Michael exclaimed, throwing a blast that incinerated the top of the tree that Bezto had just flown over, but missing Bezto. Max, meanwhile, ran to check Alyyx out. Liz was already at Alyyx's side, and both were sure that Alyyx was going to need Max's medical attention in a very big way after what had just happened. To their shock and amazement, Alyyx was fine… and the snake had mysteriously disappeared.**

**"I don't understand," Liz said, looking their son over, "He's not burned or hurt at all… not that I can see." Max shook his head, speechless.**

**"I think I can explain it," the other Max, from the New Granolith, said, "What you just saw**** was ****an Antarian Nan-Torel green-spotted fire snake. Jim can tell you about them. He had one on his TV program, 'Jungle Jim,' that's been running on our Antar for a while now." **

**Jim nodded… "The flash of fire the fire snake gives off is actually not fire but a massive burst of radiation coupled with a sensory boost produced by a small organ in the snake's brain that allows it to intensify the visual effect of its display in susceptible brains… like ours… and apparently, Bezto's. When the fire snake gives off its flash of radiation, it sends out a powerful signal from its brain at the same time that causes a predator to see the radiation flash as flames. The flash is real, but it wouldn't be visible, or certainly not as impressive, without the sensory boost from the snake's mind. If the flames were real fire, the fire snakes would burn the Nan-Torel down." **

**Jim was trying to explain the mechanism of the snake's awesome display but was drawing blank stares from most of those there, who had never seen his show in their dimension. **

**"It can be lethal to smaller animals and to some larger animals with susceptible nervous systems," Jim continued, "But it's not lethal to humans or Antarians… as long as we're in Antar's atmosphere, which counteracts much of the radiation's effects. On Earth, this amount of radiation would probably have killed them."**

**"Are there a lot of these snakes around here," Max asked Zorel. **

**Zorel smiled. "We've only seen two or three. Andya made this one with her mind… and Danyy told it what to do."**

**Max turned to Andya and Danyy… "You did that?"**

**"Was it okay, Dad," Andya asked sheepishly.**

**Max looked at her sternly then smiled. "Well, Michael and I did have a plan to get Bezto, but it was risky. Someone might have got hurt. You got Alyyx away from him without Alyyx or anyone else getting hurt. Thank you! You guys are pretty awesome!"**

**Andya and Danyy both grinned from ear to ear.**

**"We can make more fire snakes whenever you want them," Andya said.**

**Max shook his head. "I've had enough fire snake excitement for today, AnDasniya… but thanks. I'll keep it in mind in case I need one anytime."**

**"Max, do you think we got rid of Bezto," Tess asked, "I mean, do you think he'll come back again?"**

**"No and yes… in that order," Max replied solemnly. "He'll try again. We can count on it. Until we get him, we will never be safe, I'm sorry to say. Bezto is like a Gorvian chogo. When a chogo clamps its jaws down on you, the only way to get it loose is to remove the jaws from the chogo and pry them apart… after the chogo is dead. That's Bezto. He won't let go… ever."**

**Nobody seemed happy to hear Max say this, but it was what all of them either knew or suspected already. **

**The group walked on toward the bog for another thirty minutes, with everyone on hyper alert for any sign at all of Bezto's presence, but no one saw any trace of him.**

**"There's the bog," Zorel said, pointing ahead about a hundred feet. Max nodded and walked to the edge of the bog. Then he stood there, looking at the black waters, and thinking.**

**"What are we going to do if we don't find Bezto," Alex asked.**

**Max shook his head silently.**

**"We won't find him," Michael said, "He'll find us. We just have to be ready."**

**"Jiba, can you make us all invisible now," Max asked, "So that Bezto can't see us?"**

**Jiba nodded enthusiastically and concentrated momentarily, then she opened her eyes. "It's done."**

**"I still see everybody," Max said.**

**Jiba nodded. "We can see each other, but anybody else won't be able to see us."**

**Max walked over to the spot where they had crossed the water and bent down to feel the stepping stone just beneath the surface.**

**"Do you think he could be masquerading as one of the stepping stones," Kyle asked.**

**Max nodded. "Bezto could be anything. We won't know what he is or where he is until he pops out." Max poked at the stepping stone with a stick. It appeared to be only a stone, though he couldn't see it. In any case, there was no reaction when Max poked it, so he proceeded to step onto the second stone and poke it, too. Again, he got no reaction. Max stepped onto the third, then the fourth, then the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth stones, poking each one as he went, with no reaction. He looked back at the others, from the center of the bog, and shrugged. **

**"Max, look!" Michael yelled, pointing across the bog toward the other side. Max turned around and looked where Michael had pointed. It was the pawgor that had gone into the bog earlier that day, the one with the injured leg, coming out of the bog, and its leg looked totally healthy now. So, unfortunately, did its appetite. Standing in the middle of the bog, Max froze, as the pawgor sniffed the air. He was unsure whether the pawgor could see through Jiba's mind warp or not, but he suspected that a major movement might be perceived by the cat, even if only by dispersing his smell into the wind for the cat to pick up.**

**"Oh oh," Michael whispered, "It's hungry. It's looking for food. Stay very, very still, Max."**

**Max couldn't hear what Michael said; Michael didn't expect him to. It was merely a thought… expressed out loud… if only in a whisper.**

**Sniffing the air, then the ground, the pawgor found an inoffensive wiffer, a large armored turtle-like creature that hides underground, just beneath the surface, in the Nan-Torel. The saber-toothed cat dug the wiffer out of its hiding place then nudged it, turning it upside down in an effort to get at the animal inside the armored shell. Crushing the shell would not be a problem for the pawgor. With its two huge front teeth and vice-like jaws, it could make short work of the wiffer's shell, and it would if it was unable to get at the animal any easier way.**

**The pawgor was patient, but it was also hungry. It managed to get a hold of the wiffer's front leg and pull it out of the shell, but the wiffer quickly reclaimed its leg and pulled it back into the shell. The pawgor had waited long enough for its meal. It stretched out on the ground, held the wiffer between its front paws, and used its huge front teeth to literally pry the top part of the shell from the bottom part. The shell burst open, exposing the pawgor's meal… but it was not the meal that the pawgor had expected. The succulent white meat of this wiffer was neither succulent nor white, but dark and oily… and the creature mutated rapidly, suddenly rising up and becoming a man-sized object. The pawgor grabbed it with sharp claws, ripping the dark, oily creature almost in half, as the creature tried unsuccessfully to escape… **

**Already injured, and unable to shift his entire body to another form again, Bezto tried to run. That in itself was a major mistake, as Jim could have told him had he asked. Jim had once said that anything running was pawgor food.**

**Bezto tried to fight back, quickly producing a large knife by shapeshifting It was actually a part of his armbut it was no match for the pawgor. A shrill scream pierced the air of the Nan-Torel, as the pawgor grabbed Bezto and shook him violently, shredding him into small pieces that floated on the wind and came to rest on the ground all around the huge cat. **

**The pawgor sniffed at the shreds of what had once been the prince of the shadow shifters. It didn't seem too impressed by the smell, but it was hungry, so it ate some of the pieces anyway. They didn't stay down long. Hacking like a cat with a hairball, the pawgor ejected the shredded pieces, along with its other meager stomach contents.**

**Across the bog, Alex watched and smiled sympathetically… "Yeah, I know! Hospital food sucks, doesn't it!"**

**tbc**


	14. Chapter 13

**Alienstarburst - Thanks! I've enjoyed writing the parts about the bog. :) I think you'll like this next part.**

**Sliding Into Antar**

**A New Age Dawns**

**Chapter 13**

**XIII**

**"To our new friends from across the dimensions… however many dimensions it may be and however far from here their Antar may lie… may our hearts and thoughts bind us together now and till the end of time," King Zan said, raising his goblet in a toast.**

**"Hear! Hear!" Alex seconded, raising his goblet to Isabel's, as the rest of the royal group and friends raised theirs, too, in joyous agreement.**

**"And may our doubles have long, healthy, happy, prosperous lives wherever they may go in their travels," Michael added, clinking his goblet against Maria's.**

**"Hear! Hear!" several people said at once.**

**It was a joyous occasion, as everyone sat around the large royal dining table together, enjoying the finest Antarian foods and jubish, an Antarian wine-like drink, for the first time in seven months. And the meal had an added atmosphere of celebration because their doubles were present… the doubles who were at least partly responsible for their being alive now. After all, it was Max from the other dimension who had healed many of them… and it was Max and Michael who had made Kryys aware of his own incredible healing abilities so that he could heal the others. **

**Kryys' contribution had not been forgotten either… nor had those of the other children…**

**"To Kryys Guerin!" Zan said, raising his goblet again… "For healing me and many of the other parents. You have an awesome ability, Kryys! Thank you… from all of us!"**

**(Alyyx Evans sneaked his hand under the table, smiling innocently.)**

**"And to Jiba, Danyy, Zorel, Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, Alyyx, Taz, Jayyd, Liz-Jolee, Drel, Mareeya, Ceelya, Rayyn… have I forgotten anyone?"**

**(Alyyx shook his head, still smiling innocently, and pulled his empty hand back out from under the table.)**

**Zan looked around the table and smiled, as he saw the grinning faces of each one of the children. "I think after the last two seasons and three days… actually, four days, now… you have all become something more than the children you were before this happened, and you've earned the right to join us at the big table during formal meals at the palace where everyone else is present. You were forced to survive without us for two seasons and three days… almost seven months. And you did better than just survive. You drove Kivar and his shadow shifters away and protected Antar and our people from them when they tried to return, and you saved me and all the other parents here by taking us to the healing place, a place that I was not even aware existed until we woke up there. So, Danyy Valenti… here's to you for discovering the healing place… Zorel Guerin… here's to you for guiding us through the Nan-Torel and for holding everyone together as a group… Jiba… here's to you for the most awesome illusions I've ever witnessed anywhere…" **

**"Hear! Hear!" both Max and Michael from the other dimension said at the same time, raising their goblets with a grin. **

**"Maya Evans… here's to you," Zan continued, "For using your mental ability to find out when Kivar was coming before he got here… and Andya Evans… here's to you for creating wild animals to help scare Kivar away the first time… and for a totally and outrageously awesome asteroid… which some of our people, I hear, are already calling 'the Kivar petard' and 'the Kivar Avengerstar.'" **

**There were a lot of nods and chuckles around the table, and everyone raised his or her goblet again, as they had done each time another name had been mentioned. **

**"And to all of you, here's to you… our children," Zan said, "For staying together and being an unconquerable force for good while we were away, uh… sleeping."**

**Zan raised his goblet, and the children grinned. Some of them raised their own glasses, which contained a special mixture of Indigo Grape Snapple, Agave Cactus Snapple, Cherry Coke, and a dash of Tabasco, all flavors that the Antarian scientists had copied from Earth drinks brought back to Antar by Michael. The children absolutely loved the mixture and always asked for it at parties. And this was definitely a party… or at least a major celebration.**

**"To a new beginning!" Liz said, "And freedom from the threat of Kivar ever returning again."**

**"I'll toast to that!" Maria and Isabel both said at the same time, raising their goblets high. They were quickly joined in by everyone else.**

**(Danyy nonchalantly slipped his hand under the table, all the time looking straight ahead and smiling as the grownups spoke.)**

**"So what do you plan to do next," Zan asked his double.**

**Max smiled and shook his head. "We're going home, we hope. That's where we thought we were when we came here. We didn't know this was another alternate dimension until we saw the children and figured out that something more than the weather was wrong here."**

**"I've been thinking about that," Varec said, "I have a couple of theories about why we went off course. My thinking at the moment is that the four individuals who called themselves sliders may have had something to do with it. I'm working on that as the most likely theory."**

**"But you can get us back on course, right?" Michael said.**

**"I should be able to," Varec replied, but his tone did not sound particularly optimistic.**

**"Well," Michael said, shrugging and turning back to the others, "Varec will get us back. I have complete faith in him."**

**"What I want to know," Liz said, turning to Tess, "…is, what in the name of Antar possessed you to jump into the black bog, when we still had no idea what was going on there. You might have drowned!"**

**Tess smiled. "Jiba jumped in. We have a bond."**

**"Well, yeah, I know," Liz said, "I have a mother's bond with Maya and my other children, but these weren't OUR children really… they were our children's doubles."**

**Tess sighed and nodded. "I know… but I still felt something. I knew that Jiba was totally unafraid when she jumped in… I felt it… and I knew that she would be all right… and that I would be all right."**

**"Must be a side effect of the mind warp ability you and Jiba share," Kyle said.**

**(Jayyd giggled and peeked under the table then slipped her hand under the table and back out quickly, looking straight ahead and smiling.)**

**Tess nodded, then she looked at Liz again… "I have a question for you, Liz. Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx are all here… I mean their doubles are here… but where is Jeffy… your baby? Is his double here? I haven't seen him."**

**Liz from this dimension caught her breath and turned to her double from the New Granolith… "You have a baby?"**

**"You don't?" Liz from the New Granolith asked, but deep inside, she already knew the answer. She had known it all along… "I think Jeffy is a one world wonder," Liz said, a bit sadly. Her double looked puzzled.**

**"What Elizabeth means," Varec offered, "Is that Jeffy was created in a time bubble that no longer exists and that only ever existed in that one place and time where Jeffy was conceived and born. It ceased to exist, and… it's very difficult to explain, but… it never existed at all."**

**"That doesn't make any sense at all," Liz from this Antar said, trying hard to understand. **

**"Our Michael traveled back in time," Liz from the New Granolith said, "And he met my double in the past. It was a screwed up timeline, and Max, Michael, and the others didn't exist in it… and I was about to marry some jerk professor who had been stealing my research to get himself ahead, but our Michael showed up and kind of put a stop to the wedding. Anyway, Max was in a different time or something entirely, and like I said, he didn't exist in my double's screwed up timeline. Time and everything had been all messed up by some guys called the Nogi-K'ya. We thought Michael did it, but it was them. Anyway, I was curious about what Max looked like, after Michael told me about him and convinced me that he was supposed to be my husband, so I called the sphere of the portal… Michael had shown me that it would answer to me… and I went to meet Max. I returned the same day to my own time by coming back in time again. But I had stayed with Max for a whole year in the other timeline, and we had Jeffy. I meant to return to Max right away, but then everything changed again and the time bubble that Max was in disappeared. At first, I didn't remember having Jeffy, because when the time bubble ceased to exist, it never happened. With the timeline thing straightened out, I returned to my real timeline with Max and our children… or became one with myself in the real timeline. I think that's actually what happened… but I couldn't forget my baby."**

**"She knew there was something terribly important that she was supposed to remember," Michael said, "And it was killing her. Eventually, she remembered. The Nogi-K'ya told her that Jeffy never existed, but Liz couldn't accept that. My son, Kryys, found him by going into the river of time, and he found a way to get him back and bring him home to her."**

**"Wow! I have a baby brother in another dimension," Maya exclaimed. "That's so totally awesome," added JoLeesa. "Can we get one, too," Andya asked. **

**Alyyx just wrinkled his nose, but then he smiled. "Oh, I guess I could train a new little brother."**

**Liz smiled. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but apparently, this baby only exists in their dimension. You would have to go there to see him." She sighed then looked at her double, as she thought about it… "Do you think that would be possible?"**

**Liz looked at Varec, and he shrugged and smiled. "I don't see why not. Once we get back home, I'll have the ship's internal log of all the places we've been, and I should be able to find them again… I suppose it would be possible for us to bring them to our Antar… to meet Jeffy."**

**The three girls squealed with delight, and Alyyx smiled and nodded… "Cool."**

**"Of course, we have to find our way back home first," Liz from the other dimension said.**

**(Ceelya pulled her hand out from under the table secretively and smiled.)**

**"Well, Zan said, raising his goblet again, "Here's to all of us…" He looked at Zorel and Danyy and smiled… "And to Jung-Jo under the table!"**

**The children's mouths dropped open. "You knew?" Danyy asked, surprised.**

**Zan nodded. "It was either that or one of you kids has been licking my feet all during the meal."**

**Everyone laughed. **

**"I thought Zorel's appetite was pretty hardy today," Michael said, looking under the table. "They've been feeding Jung-Jo."**

**Zan nodded. **

**"Can you let Jung-Jo stay here with us when you go home," little Jayyd asked.**

**Jim from the New Granolith laughed. "I think Jung-Jo wants to get back home, too, honey. He has a family, too."**

**"Whoa!" Jayyd exclaimed. "Jung-Jo is married?"**

**"Pawgors don't get married, silly," Zorel said, laughing.**

**"That's true, they don't," Jim said. "But they do choose a mate for life. Their babies grow up and leave to make their own lives, and the mama and daddy pawgor go their separate ways for a while, but they always find each other again when… when…"**

**Michael leaned forward and raised his eyebrows, waiting for Jim to finish and enjoying seeing him stammer as he tried to think of the appropriate words. **

**"When they want to start a new family," Jim said.**

**"I'm gonna miss you, Jung-Jo," Jayyd said, lifting the table cloth to peek under the table again. A big tongue licked her face, putting a huge smile on it again, as the other children all laughed and nodded in agreement.**

**"Maybe Jung-Jo's double is here on our Antar somewhere," Alyyx said.**

**Jim sighed but nodded. "It's possible. He may have survived, but he would be a fully-grown wild pawgor now. He didn't grow up around people the way Jung-Jo did… and around Danyy, who can talk to him."**

**"Our Danyy can talk to pawgors," Maya said, "Maybe he can find him."**

**Jim shook his head. "Even if you found him, remember that he would be wild. A wild pawgor is a dangerous animal."**

**"Oh, I know that!" Danyy replied. "I hear their thoughts. They're not like Jung-Jo."**

**"Exactly," Jim said. "But since you may be going into the Nan-Torel again, I should tell you what I know about pawgors. It might save your lives. If you ever see one face to face, never, ever run! Anything running is pawgor food. That's lesson number one. Lesson number two is, drop down on all fours and stay totally still. The pawgor will sniff you and leave. Don't get back up until he's long gone. And lesson three, don't ever come face to face with a wild pawgor if you can help it."**

**The children all nodded.**

**"Good advice," Zan said. **

**"And if you ever get lost in the Nan-Torel and have to sleep there," Jim added… "First off, don't! And second, if you do, cover yourself up with a deep layer of Ama leaves. It will keep the rob-jettas from eating you during the night."**

**"Wow," Zorel said, "You know a lot about the Nan-Torel."**

**"I've been in it a few times," Jim admitted, then he looked at his double and smiled.**

**Jim's double nodded. "I've been in there a few times myself. I always wanted to go in and do some deep exploring. I had been thinking about it a lot right before Kivar's shadow shifters showed up and ambushed us. Thanks for the tips."**

**"You're welcome," Jim said, "There's one other thing you should know about the Nan-Torel. The jah-ee is not just a myth. Since your Max does not have an understanding with the jah-ee's, you will have to consider them extremely dangerous predators. They have hollow talons filled with a deadly poison for which there is no antidote except in the world beneath their island. It would really behoove you for Max to make friends with them, but I don't know how he might do that. It was mutual need that brought the jah-ee and our Max together. And the jah-ee tried to eat him first. So beware. Do not get caught out in the open in a clearing in the Nan-Torel, especially near the river. I suspect that Zorel and the other children here can tell you a few more things about the Nan-Torel."**

**"Oh, yeah!" Zorel agreed, nodding, "We can!"**

**"Don't ever touch the purple bushes with the big anchor-shaped leaves," Liz-Jolee said, "They'll give you real bad welts all over."**

**Jim from the other dimension nodded. "Those are poison guma plants."**

**As Jim spoke, a huge feline head with two long saber teeth laid itself in his lap and purred. Jim smiled. "I know… we all want to get back home, don't we, boy."**

**Jung-Jo appeared to smile. It was probably his eyes. When he closed them in a contented way, it gave his entire face a smiley look.**

**"Jung-Jo says he's going to miss us, too," Danyy said, hearing the pawgor's thoughts.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**Most of Antar, it seemed, had turned out to say goodbye to the group from the other dimension as they prepared to leave their Antar and return home to their own. The New Granolith hovered on its anti-gravity docking system, waiting for the last ones to come aboard.**

**The group had spent the morning of their third day on this Antar receiving gifts and giving tours of the New Granolith to their doubles and to anyone else who wanted to come aboard; and that had been a steady stream of Antarians. Now, at just after high noon, they were finally ready to depart.**

**Liz, Maria, Isabel, Tess, and the others had all said goodbye to their doubles and to everyone else, and enough kisses and hugs had been exchanged to power the New Granolith all the way back home to their own dimension if kisses and hugs could be converted into energy. Max and Jim were the last ones out now, along with Jung-Jo, who was still frolicking with the children, giving them rides and pawgor licks. But the time had come to go, and Max nodded to Jim. Jim gave a little whistle to Jung-Jo, who came running to his side.**

**"Goodbye, friends," Max said shaking his double's hand again and hugging Liz and Maria and a few others. He looked at Jung-Jo and wondered how he was ever going to be able to extract him from all the adoring little arms holding onto him… If anyone had been a real hit here, it had been Jung-Jo with the children.**

**"Come on, Jung-Jo," Jim said. We gotta go." **

**Jim led Jung-Jo into the transport circle beneath the ship, and he and Max waved a final goodbye, as the transport beam took them into the ship. Moments later, the ship rose slowly from where it had been hovering… and headed out into the Antarian sky.**

**tbc**


	15. Chapter 14

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>**

**On The Road Again**

**Chapter 14**

**XIV**

**>**

_**On the road again!  
**_**_Just can't wait to get on the road again!  
_****_The life I love is makin' music with my friends  
And I can't wait to get on the road again!_**

**_On the road again!  
Goin' places that I've never been!  
Seein' things that I may never see again,  
And I can't wait to get on the road again!_**

**_On the road again!  
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway  
We're the best of friends!_**

**Michael leaned back in his co-pilots seat and smiled at Maria and Liz…**

**"Looks like we can count on music during our journey. Max and Kyle must be expanding their artistic range. First MC Hammer, now Willie Nelson. Well, no one can say they're locked into a rut."**

**Liz laughed and nodded. "I don't know, I kind of like it myself. They're not that bad… once you get used to them."**

**"Green eggs and ham wouldn't look that bad to someone coming out of the desert after a week," Michael chuckled. "We've been deprived of real music for too long."**

**Maria slapped Michael playfully on the arm. "Don't knock Dr. Seuss. I like Dr. Seuss. And I agree with Liz, Max and Kyle are kind of… sort of… not too bad."**

**"Like green eggs and ham?"**

**"Oh, Michael!"**

**_On the road again!  
Goin' places that I've never been!  
Seein' things that I may never see again,  
And I can't wait to get on the road again! _**

**_On the road again!  
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway  
We're the best of friends!_**

**Jung-Jo lifted his head and let out a softly rising aaarrrroooooooooooooooo, seeming, eerily, to harmonize with Max and Kyle.**

**"Okay, now, that's an improvement!" Michael exclaimed with a big grin. "I could listen to that!"**

**As fate would have it, Varec walked in at that moment, effectively ending the concert. Everybody turned to Varec, waiting to see what he had to say about their futures.**

**Varec smiled, but Michael noticed that he also swallowed hard… "As you often ask on Eluymer, so I have heard, do you prefer the good news first or the bad news first?"**

**"Bad," Michael said. "Good," Liz and Maria both said at the same time. "Just give it all to us," Max said.**

**Varec nodded. "Well, the bad news is, I don't know exactly where we are interdimensionally, so I cannot guarantee that the next Antar we come to will be our own… or the one after that… or ever…"**

**"What's the good news," Michael asked.**

**"I know what happened. The New Granolith was moved off of its predetermined dimensional plane by a powerful beam composed of ions and protons… the vortex that brought the four Sliders to our ship."**

**"So what do we do about it," Max asked. "There must be a solution."**

**"There is always a solution," Varec replied. "If one can find it."**

**"Then we work on that," Max said. "We WILL get home."**

**The others all nodded, and even Varec, who –usually- was too scientific-minded to be swayed by emotion, seemed oddly relieved seeing Max so emphatic that they would get home. **

**"Where there is conviction, there is always solution," Varec said with a smile, switching from Antarian, which he had been speaking, to his best English. **

**"You mean where there's a will there's a way," Maria said.**

**Varec nodded. "That's what I said, isn't it?"**

**Maria smiled and nodded.**

**Michael sat back down in his seat, leaned back, and sighed… "Well, nothing to do then but see where we wind up… and if it's not our Antar… we refine our calculations and try again…"**

**He picked up a couple of wooden pointers and began beating out a hard drum beat on the console…**

_**And the road becomes my bride  
I am stripped of all but pride  
So in her I do confide  
And she keeps me satisfied  
Gives me all I need** _

**And with dust in throat I crave  
Only knowledge will I save  
To the game you stay a slave  
Rover wanderer  
Nomad vagabond  
Call me what you will**

**But I'll take my time anywhere  
Free to speak my mind anywhere  
And I'll redefine anywhere  
Anywhere I roam**  
_**Where I lay my head is home.**_

**Jung-Jo put both paws over his head, and Michael stopped and looked at him…**

**"Traitor! I'll have you know that was Metallica! That's real music!"**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**Forty-eight hours later, everyone was gathered in front of the New Granolith's large bridge window to watch, as once again the ship approached the planet Antar. There was no question it was Antar. The Golden Sea was pretty distinctive… plus, all the landmasses were right. But was it theirs? No one could say for sure. **

**"What do you think, Max," Michael asked.**

**Max shook his head slowly and shrugged. It looked like their Antar… but so had the last one… before the storms had started. So far, there were no visible storms on this Antar. That, at least, was a good sign. Max slowed the ship and took it into the upper reaches of Antar's atmosphere. Almost instantly, they began receiving a transmission.**

**"Put it on the VidScreen," Max said, but Michael was already on it.**

**A young man appeared on the screen. It was Dak, the ****young AVMTech at the Antar Space Field outside CoruzAntar. Immediately, a cheer went up from everyone onboard the New Granolith.**

**"Wait," Max said, holding up his hand, "Don't get your hopes up too high just yet. Just because Dak is here doesn't necessarily mean this is our Antar."**

**"But it could be," Isabel said, grinning.**

**Max nodded. "Yeah. It could be."**

**"Identify yourself and your ship," the young AVMTech said. Everyone's hearts sank a bit, but they hoped that there would be some unexpected explanation for Dak's not recognizing the New Granolith.**

**"I am Zan," Max said. "Rath is with me… and my wife, Liz, and our friends. The ship is the New Granolith, our mother ship. Are you having a problem with the transponder signals, Dak?"**

**"No problem with the signals," Dak said. "You will have to land at the field on the outside of CoruzAntar, on the east side of the capitol."**

**"Do you know who I am, Dak," Max asked.**

**"You said that you are Zan."**

**"Do you know who Zan is?"**

**"Of course. Zan was our king. But you are not that Zan."**

**"Was?"**

**"Before Kivar… then the regents."**

**"Who?"**

**"The regents… Lady Vilandra and the new King of Antar." **

**"The… what!"**

**"Omigod!" Isabel exclaimed, "Please, please, please don't let it be Kivar!"**

**"Lady Vilandra… Isabel… and Alex, the King and Queen of Antar.**

**tbc**


	16. Chapter 15

**Red-rumm - Thanks for the fb. This next part will answer a few questions. More will come soon.**

**>**

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Alex & Isabel, King & Queen Of Antar**

**Chapter 15**

**XV**

**>**

**"Is there a problem," the AVMTech asked.**

**"No… no… no… no problem," Max stammered. "We, uh… We'll land where you directed us to land. Is, uh… King Alex around?"**

**The young tech smiled. "The king has more important things to attend to than hanging around watching me work, I suspect. He may be at the palace."**

**"Could you let him know that we're here?"**

**"I already have," the tech said. "The message was relayed to the palace and to his private ComServer as soon as your ship entered Antarian air space."**

**"Oh… okay… well… good. Yeah, that's… that's… good."**

**"I can't wait to see how this all came about," Michael said, as Max dropped back into the pilot's seat, a stunned look on his face.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**The New Granolith settled into the space designated for it at the CoruzAntar spaceport and powered down, coming to rest on its anti-gravity locks. From the bridge window, Max could see that a hover vehicle was headed toward the ship…**

**"I'll go down first and make sure their friendly." **

**"Like hell, you will," Michael objected. "I'm going with you. You may need me."**

**Max just nodded.**

**Max and Michael appeared in the transport circle beneath the ship and watched as the hover vehicle drew near. It was a Dyygitix-Sixteen. Michael looked the vehicle over, nodding appreciatively, as it approached…**

**"Well, somebody is either robbing the royal treasury or Antar is going through a prosperity boom," Michael mused, "A Dyygitix-sixteen would set me back two years salary on our Antar." **

**"Maybe it's the palace car," Max said.**

**Michael nodded. "Could be, I guess. Kind of small and sporty for a palace car, though."**

**The Dyygitix-sixteen pulled up beside Max and Michael, and the top slid back and flipped upward then slid down into the sides of the vehicle and disappeared all in one smooth, almost fluid movement. Alex hopped out of the driver's seat and walked up to Max and Michael, looking Max in the eyes…**

**"When they told me you were here, Max, I wanted to see it for myself. I've gotta tell you, I didn't really believe it." Alex glanced at the New Granolith. "Where'd you get the ship? Even I don't have any ships that big. Don't tell me Kivar left it on Earth. You couldn't hide something that size."**

**"You'd be surprised," Max said, lifting his arm and speaking into his wrist ComServer… "Varec… put the invisibility shield on."**

**As they watched, the New Granolith disappeared completely from sight.**

**Alex nodded. "I'm impressed! But I still don't believe Kivar left it on Earth."**

**Max shook his head. "Nope… you're right… he didn't. I had it built. That is, Michael and I had it built… so we could go back to Earth's past and change some… uh… mistakes."**

**"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You lost me there, Max. The past? Did you mess with the past on Earth? My past? Am I going to disappear now or something, so you can take your throne back? You didn't want it… remember?"**

**Max's face clearly betrayed his surprise, but he recovered quickly…**

**"Alex, there's something you need to know."**

**"Yeah, it sounds like it."**

**"We're not the same Max and Michael that you know… KNEW. We're sort of… from a different dimension."**

**Alex nodded. "Oh, well, why didn't you say so?"**

**"You believe me?"**

**"No."**

**"It's true," Michael said. "Do you want proof?"**

**"Proof would be good."**

**Michael nodded and spoke into his own wrist ComServer…**

**"Varec… would you send Alex and Isabel down, please?"**

**Michael smiled, enjoying the puzzled look of uncertainty that came over Alex's face. A moment later, Alex and Isabel appeared in the transport circle beneath the still invisible ship and walked over to where Max, Michael, and the King stood.**

**Alex put out his hand, and his royal double took it and slowly shook it, albeit a bit suspiciously… then he looked at Isabel and shook his head…**

**"Another dimension, huh?"**

**"Yep," Alex from the New Granolith said.**

**"Wow. That's… unexpected…" King Alex replied thoughtfully, finding himself having trouble taking his eyes off of Isabel. "Why did you come to this dimension?"**

**"Actually, we were trying to find our own dimension again," Isabel said. "We seem to have been pushed off of our dimensional trajectory or something like that. Varec can explain it. Anyway, we keep finding Antars in the wrong dimensions now."**

**The king nodded. "I didn't know the existence of alternate dimensions had been proven yet… much less that anyone was actively traveling around between them."**

**"We're kind of new to it," Alex from the New Granolith admitted. "I guess that's why we're lost."**

**His royal double smiled, suddenly becoming the congenial host. "Well! As long as you're here on my Antar, you'll have to come to the palace and have dinner with us… with Isabel and me. She'd love to see you!" Alex turned and looked at Max… "I'm happy to see you, too, Max… even if you're not the one I knew… or maybe because you're not."**

**"I don't think we'll all fit in a Dyygitix-sixteen," Michael said.**

**Alex nodded. He had forgotten that there were others on the ship besides Max, Michael, Isabel, and his double. "How many of you are there?"**

**"Eleven," Michael said, "Max and Liz, Maria and myself, Alex and Iz, Tess and Rayylar, Varec, Kyle, and Jim."**

**"Liz and Maria?" Alex repeated, suddenly perking up noticeably, "Liz and Maria are here?"**

**Max nodded.**

**Alex raised his wrist to his mouth… "Joygo, would you please send the palace car to the spaceport? Yeah… thanks." He turned back to his guests and smiled. "There'll be plenty of room."**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**As the sun began to set over CoruzAntar, Antar's capitol city, the palace dining hall came alive with gaiety, laughter, and small talk…**

**"To our guests," Alex said, raising his tall glass in a toast. Queen Isabel, Tess, and several Antarian friends raised their own glasses in agreement. When Isabel had learned of the arrival of the New Granolith group she had called Tess and her Antarian friends and asked them to come to the palace.**

**"It's nice to have visitors from Earth," Isabel said, "It's not like we get a steady stream of them. In fact, actually, you're the first… and you don't even live on Earth anymore."**

**Isabel from the New Granolith looked at her double and smiled, but her eyes seemed to be saying, "I'm so sorry." The queen noticed…**

**"Don't feel sorry for me. I chose to come… I have Alex! And I have friends, lots of them. Of course… they're not the ones I grew up with. Or mom and dad…"**

**"I'd love to hear how you came here by yourselves and became the king and queen," Liz said, looking at Alex. **

**Alex smiled and shook his head… "Boring. You wouldn't want to hear it."**

**Liz raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together with determination…**

**"I do want to hear it, Alex! And I don't think it's boring. There has to be a very interesting story there!"**

**Alex shook his head again. "I try not to make a habit of killing my guests with boring talk about myself… especially during their first meal with me."**

**"We'll take the risk," Maria said. "Spill it, Alex!"**

**"Let's talk about you," Alex replied, trying to change the subject. "Tell me about your ship."**

**Liz and Maria, sitting on either side of Alex, both reached over and put their hands around his neck at the same time. "Don't make us strangle you, Alex!" Maria said. "Humor us. You're not supposed to say no to a lady's request."**

**Alex adopted a mock look of terror and glanced at Isabel… "Are you going to let them do this?" Isabel smiled and nonchalantly took another bite of grelliats.**

**"Darn, she knows we love him too much to kill him," Maria said.**

**"But what if we didn't," Liz asked.**

**"I'd probably have to vaporize you," Isabel said, calmly taking another bite of grelliats. This drew laughter from all her Antarian friends as well as from Tess; and Liz and Maria both smiled, too.**

**"You're lucky you're so adorable," Liz said, giving Alex a gentle shove, "'Cause if you weren't…"**

**"So I don't have to tell you how we got here then?"**

**"I didn't say that," Liz replied emphatically. "I can still hurt you… lovingly, of course."**

**Alex chuckled. "Alright! Alright… You asked for it. Don't blame me if I bore you to death, though. I warned you." **

**Alex turned and glanced at Tess, almost apologetically, and seemed to be asking for her permission. Tess smiled slightly and then nodded.**

**tbc**


	17. Chapter 16

Okay, this part may have just a little bit of strong language… but probably no more than you hear on any TV program today… maybe not as much! Just so you know, though (Like that's going to stop you, right?) Also, this part is being told by Alex, but not always in the first person. There is direct dialog between the characters, set off by quotation marks "" in the usual way. There is simple exposition, to say what you should be "seeing" as Alex tells it, but which is not in Alex's own words precisely, though he is telling it. And there is what Alex says to us directly. This has been indicated with before he begins each time. I think it will be clear when you read it.

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Alex's Story**

**Chapter 16**

**XVI**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Alex sighed and rubbed his chin… "Where to start…"**

**"Try at the beginning," Liz said.**

**"Okay… well, I was born in…"**

**"Not that far in the beginning, Alex! Come on! Start with… whenever whatever happened that led to your BEING HERE ON ANTAR!"**

**"Oh, that!" Alex smiled. He knew he was jerking the girls around, but he also knew that he could get away with it. **

**"Well… I guess it started when…"**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**"****You did this to me, Tess! You sent me to Las Cruces!"**

**"****Okay… Alex… Alex, let me fix your mind. You're not thinking straight."**

**"****You mind warped me for two months while I decoded that silly book for you, and now there's nothing left for you to mind warp. You destroyed my mind! How could you do this to me?"**

**I think that's when Kyle came in and asked what was going on. Tess was already frustrated and scared, because she was having trouble controlling the situation… **

**"Kyle, get out!"**

**At that point, I was losing it, too… totally. I didn't care who was there or anything. My mind was just so totally numb from all the mind warps, and I couldn't think straight anymore. But I finally remembered enough to know who was responsible…**

**"See what you've done, Tess? I can't… I can't… think… ****I have nothing left of ME anymore. I might as well be dead!"**

**"****Calm down! Just calm down," Tess pleaded frantically, at the same time trying to get Kyle out of the room. Then I felt it happening again… It felt like a flood washing through my brain, washing away everything that was me… all my memories, all my own thoughts, all my feelings. I tried to fight it… **

**"****No! You can't mind warp me again… NOOO!"**

**That's all I remember. Then everything went blank. I know now that my brain couldn't take any more, and it simply shut down on some level. It was gone, like a light that had been blown, and it wasn't coming back on this time… not for anything that Tess might wish or do."**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**"****Your duffel's all loaded." **

**"****Thanks Kyle." **

**"****Want me to come along?" **

**"****No. Go in the house. I'll take care of everything from here."**

**"Are you sure?"**

**Tess looked Kyle in the eyes, and he nodded and walked back toward the house. He never knew that the "duffel" he had put in the car was actually me… he had been mindwarped. Tess drove over to my house and got a guy who was passing by on the sidewalk to move her "duffel" from her car into the front seat of mine. Then she drove out to the highway and stopped and got out. She pushed me over into the driver's seat and used her powers to start the car and guide it into the front of a semi at 70 miles per hour while she watched from a safe distance away, out of sight.**

**After the crash, Tess went back to the café and tried to act like one of the group and like nothing had happened, but her mind was in turmoil. Then Valenti came into the CrashDown and told everybody that I had been killed in an accident, and they all rushed over to the morgue with him so Max could heal me. When the coroner's van showed up, Valenti hurried the two attendants inside to give Max a chance to get into the back and bring me back to life, but Max wasn't able to. My body was too… well…**

**When Max wasn't able to bring me back, everybody just started to fall apart, and Tess didn't know what to do. She walked around for the rest of the afternoon, thinking. That evening, she showed up at the CrashDown again…**

**"Max."**

**"Tess."**

**"I need to talk with you, Max."**

**"Okay."**

**"Not here. Not in front of everybody."**

**"Anything you have to say, you can say in front of Liz and me," Maria said.**

**"This doesn't concern you, Maria. Stay out of it."**

**"If it's about you and Max, it concerns me, Tess. Liz is my friend, and you're hurting her."**

**"Maria… It's okay," Liz whispered.**

**"No, it's not okay, Liz… You have to speak up. Wherever you and Max are, Tess always shows up. It's like she's got a LoJack hidden in his pants. She always knows where he is. If you don't stop it now, she'll have him in bed before you know it."**

**"Maria!" Liz exclaimed, her face reddening to a bright crimson, "That is so not going to happen. I'm a big girl, Maria. I can handle my own relationships. I know you're trying to help, but… well, don't. Not here… not right now. You're embarrassing me."**

**Max and Michael looked at each other, and both decided, perhaps wisely, not to comment.**

**"Well, I tried to tell you," Maria said, glaring at Tess.**

**Tess huffed and pursed her lips tightly together… "Okay… okay… you all want to hear it? Okay, then. But you may not find what I have to say very pleasant."**

**"Well, that won't be a big change," Maria said.**

**Tess took a deep breath. "I killed Alex."**

**There was total silence for several moments… total stunned silence.**

**"Why?" Maria asked, tears starting to roll down her face. "Why would you hurt Alex? Alex, of all people! What did he ever do to you?"**

**"Nothing." Tess' lips trembled, and she started to cry.**

**"Oh, for God's sake, don't!" Liz said, starting to shake uncontrollably and unable to contain her feelings any longer. "Save it for the theater, Tess!"**

**"I'm not acting. I didn't mean to kill him. It just… it happened."**

**"Shit happens," Maria said. "Killing my best friend doesn't just happen."**

**"It was an accident. I needed him to decode the book. I didn't know his mind couldn't handle the mind warps."**

**"He died in a car wreck," Liz said.**

**"I staged that to take suspicion off of me. He didn't die in the crash."**

**"Why are you telling us all of this now," Max asked solemnly.**

**"I only wanted to tell you, Max. I didn't want to tell everybody."**

**"Well, now we all know," Michael said.**

**Tess nodded. "Max, you need to try again to heal Alex. If I help you, maybe we can do it… together."**

**"You didn't see the body after the crash, did you?" Max asked.**

**Tess shook her head.**

**"If you had, you wouldn't ask me."**

**"But it was an accident, Max. I didn't mean to kill him. You have to heal him."**

**"It's too late for self-recriminations, Tess. Maybe if you hadn't smashed him into a semi head on at 70 miles per hour, I could have done something…"**

**"A hundred twenty-five," Liz said. Max turned and looked at Liz.**

**"The truck driver said he was doing 55. Alex's car was going 70. That's 125 miles per hour."**

**Max nodded and looked back at Tess. "I can't fix that, Tess. Nothing can."**

**Tess closed her eyes and choked back a sob, but there was no sympathy for her in the room.**

**"Leave us," Max said, "Leave Roswell. Go far away and don't ever come back. If you ever do, I'll kill you myself."**

**Michael nodded in agreement. Tess looked around the room, but except for Maria, everyone was in agreement that she be banished. Maria preferred the death option.**

**"Omigod," Liz whispered, placing her hand over her mouth reflexively, "When Isabel finds out what really happened, she'll die."**

**"Where is Isabel," Michael asked.**

**"She went home," Maria said, "To cry."**

**Max turned and looked at Tess again. His eyes were hard, cold, and totally void of any sympathy… or any feelings that he ever might have had for her. Tess knew that this time she had stepped over the line, and what she had done could not be fixed with a few tears, real or otherwise. She turned and walked out the door of the CrashDown in silence… and didn't look back.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**At home, Isabel lay on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. She had been like this since finding out that Max would not be able to do anything, and her pillow was already in desperate need of a long tumble in the dryer. Seeming to finally realize this, she rolled over to reach for a dry pillow… And that's when she noticed…**

**Thinking that it must be the tears making it look like what she thought she saw, Isabel wiped her eyes and looked again… **

**"Hello, Isabel."**

**"Alex? Omigod, Alex! You're alive! How did you…?"**

**"That's not important, Iz. Actually, I'm not sure how I got here."**

**Isabel reached out and touched me to see if I was real, and she found that I was solid… It surprised me, too… maybe more than her. She threw herself into my arms and hugged me, and tears started running down her face again.**

**"You're not really here, are you, Alex? This is a dream. You're not real. It's not fair!"**

**"It's not a dream, Isabel. I'm here… in some way." **

**I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be all right, even if I couldn't be there with her anymore, but I felt wrong saying it, because I knew that it would never be all right for me. I wanted Isabel to move on… for her sake… but… **

**I put my arms around her and kissed her… and I was overcome by the passion that flowed between us… through our kiss… through every fiber of our very beings, whatever our beings were at that moment. Isabel closed her eyes and surrendered herself to me totally, and we both let the feeling carry us away emotionally. But her heart was still breaking, and I could feel it. We both knew that our time together was limited and I would have to be going much too soon, so we held each other tight, trying, in those few short minutes, to capture all the moments that we would miss for the rest of… eternity.**

**"Dance, milady?"**

**Isabel nodded and smiled, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. And we danced…**

**…and we danced…**

**…and as we danced, I felt myself slipping away…**

**"Iz, I have to tell you something. I love you!"**

**"Oh, God, I love you, too, Alex… so much! Will I ever see you again?"**

**"Not here."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"I'm being taken somewhere… I think… my body…"**

**"Your body?"**

**"Tess…"**

**That was the last thing Isabel heard me say before I disappeared.**

**Isabel stood there, her mind reeling, thinking about what she had heard, trying to put it all together…**

**"Omigod! Tess!"**

**Isabel raced from her room and out the front door. Slamming the door behind her without stopping to look back, she jumped into Max's jeep… then headed for the desert. **

**tbc**


	18. Chapter 17

**Sliding Into Antar**

**Abducted**

**Chapter 17**

**XVII**

**Puffing from exertion, Tess stopped and wiped her brow. Then she took the end of the rolled up carpet in both hands again and continued to drag it across the desert sand, leaving a swept path in her wake. The distance between the car and the rocky outcrop was no more than fifty feet, but the desert heat was merciless, and Tess was not accustomed to doing heavy moving herself. **

**Perhaps it was this fact, and the exertion, that caused her not to immediately notice the arrival of another vehicle. That was a mistake that she soon regretted, as something unseen hit her with the force of a freight train, bowling her over and sending her sprawling into the desert sand. Before Tess could get her breath back, Isabel was on top of her, straddling her, and Tess was face down in the sand.**

**"What the hell do you think you're doing, Tess?"**

**"Shouldn't I be asking you that question," Tess managed to sputter, trying to spit the sand out of her mouth. "I'm going home. Max told me to leave, remember? You all did."**

**"What's in the carpet?"**

**"None of your business. Groceries… my belongings… what do you care?"**

**Isabel shoved Tess' face into the dirt again. "Who's in the carpet, Tess?"**

**Tess gasped and sputtered…**

**"Earl… It's Earl, okay?"**

**That answer earned her another mouthful of desert sand.**

**"It's Alex, isn't it?" **

**"If you know the answers, why are you asking me?"**

**Isabel rolled off of Tess, wiping the sweat off her own face and giving Tess a chance to roll over on her back and finally look at her attacker. It was, at least, an improvement over eating hot desert sand.**

**"How did you get the body out of the morgue, Tess? Wait! Don't tell me! You had the attendants roll it up for you and put it in your car."**

**Isabel thought she saw just a flicker of a smile tug at the corner of Tess' lips. She considered removing it with another mouth full of sand but realized that that would make it harder for Tess to answer questions. And as much as Isabel wanted to stuff Tess' face in the dirt again at that moment, she wanted answers even more.**

**"What do you want with Alex?"**

**"I'm abducting him. Isn't that what we do, Isabel… abduct humans?"**

**Isabel reached for Tess, but Tess was ready this time and brought her hand up unexpectedly, throwing sand into Isabel's face. Isabel choked on the sand for a second, which was all the time Tess needed to grab her tormenter by the hair and pull her onto the ground with her. Isabel screamed, more out of dismay and anger than pain, and grabbed Tess by the hair, too, as they rolled in the sand together, each trying to gain the upper position. After several rolls, Tess came out on top, but a sideways kick from Isabel put Tess in the sand again, and Isabel scrambled to get back on top of her before she could get up. Isabel succeeded in securing the upper position but only had one of Tess' hands pinned, and Tess grabbed at Isabel with the other hand, catching hold of Isabel's blouse at the neckline and ripping it from the neck all the way down the right arm, causing the shredded garment to hang awkwardly.**

**"You bitch! That was a new blouse!"**

**"Ooh, somebody needs their mouth washed out," Tess taunted, ignoring the fact that she was currently at a disadvantage again.**

**"And I suppose you think you're the one who'll do it," Isabel spat angrily.**

**"Well, frankly, Iz, I could care less about your potty mouth. Unlike you, I've got more important things to worry about… like Alex."**

**Isabel slapped Tess resoundingly, leaving a pulsing crimson handprint on her alabaster cheek… though in actual fact, not much alabaster was visible anymore. Most of her face was by now covered with desert dust… as was Isabel's. For good measure, Isabel grabbed Tess' blouse at the neck and ripped it down the front, leaving her exposed.**

**"You'll pay for that!" Tess screamed, flailing her one fist that was still free, trying to connect with Isabel's face. Isabel dodged it and grabbed Tess' arm, forcing it back down, and ironically, hitting Tess in the eye with her own fist.**

**"What do you want out of me?" Tess cried. You wanted me to go home, so I'm going. You should be happy. You'll never have to see me again!"**

**"I didn't tell you to take Alex with you," Isabel said angrily, no longer in a mood to even pretend civility.**

**"What difference does it make, Iz? He's dead. Max can't bring him back. You know those stupid Earth doctors can't bring him back. So what do you care what happens to his body?"**

**"I care," Isabel said, "I care. Alex deserves a decent, dignified burial at least. You killed him. Isn't that enough?"**

**Tess stared at Isabel, Momentarily at a loss for words, and Isabel thought that, just for the briefest of moments, she saw something unexpected in Tess' eyes: regret… and sadness. But then she told herself that it was probably just Tess' black eye coming on.**

**"Isabel, listen to me… This stupid backward planet is, like, in the stone age compared to our planet. What Earth doctors couldn't even dream of doing is common every day practice on Antar. They can heal Alex."**

**Isabel shook her head slowly, wanting to believe it, but having a hard time making such a leap of faith…**

**"I don't know, Tess. You heard what Max said. Alex is beyond his help, and we're Antarian, too."**

**"Max is a child, Isabel. He's just a boy. His knowledge is like a two-year-old's on our planet. There's so much more that our people can do. You don't have a clue what we are capable of. Nasedo could have taught you so much."**

**Isabel shook her head. "What he would have taught me, I can live without. Mom and dad taught me more important things… like not to kill my friends… of which you are not one, I might warn you."**

**"That was an accident, Isabel. Okay, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry! I never meant to kill Alex. Alex was my friend. Nasedo taught me to survive, okay? And survival sometimes means using others… even if they're your friends. It's life. That's just the way it is."**

**"Not for everybody, Tess. Working with others and respecting them can get you a lot more in life than using them can."**

**"That's if people like you and want to work with you… and respect you," Tess said.**

**"Well, you have to earn their respect, Tess… especially after you've lost it."**

**"My watch is broken. Do you still have your watch, Iz?"**

**"You're worried about the time? It's 4:26."**

**Tess exhaled, still trying to remove some of the sand that was stuck in her teeth… "We have four minutes to get Alex into the Granolith… four minutes to decide if he lives or dies. What's your choice, Isabel?"**

**The color went out of Isabel's face, and she stammered, "I… I… What about Max… and Michael? If we take the Granolith…"**

**"Three minutes, Iz." **

**Isabel grabbed the end of the carpet… "Get the other end, Tess. I can't do this by myself."**

**Tess smiled and grabbed the other end, and the two girls carried it into the Granolith chamber together.**

**"Put him down right here, Iz. The Granolith will pull us in when I touch my hand to it. You should leave us now."**

**"I'm not leaving Alex with you, Tess. Wherever you're taking Alex, I'm going with him."**

**"Suit yourself… One minute left."**

**Isabel wiped at the dust that was caked on her face and groaned… "I don't suppose there's a ladies' room in that thing…" **

**Tess smiled and shook her head. "I don't suppose."**

**"Just checking."**

**Holding the carpet with one hand, Tess reached out with the other hand and touched the Granolith, and immediately both she and Alex were absorbed into it, along with Isabel, who was holding the other end of the carpet.**

**"What happens now," Isabel asked.**

**"How do I know. I've never used the Granolith before. It's a one trip machine, I think."**

**A moment later, lights began to swirl around them and the sound of rocks crumbling could be heard, even from inside the Granolith. Then the Granolith streaked into the sky, leaving a vapor trail behind it, and taking with it three passengers.**

**Isabel smiled wearily… "Let me fix your blouse, Tess. You're indecent. We don't want you to show up on Antar this way."**

**Tess nodded silently, as Isabel passed her hand over the torn blouse, mending it… then Tess lifted the torn sleeve of Isabel's blouse back over her arm and passed her hand over it, fixing it the same way.**

**"What about Kivar?" Isabel asked. **

**"I can handle Kivar," Tess said with assurance.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Granolith settled gently into the grass near the Starkeen River, several miles outside Antar's capitol city, in a well-hidden area surrounded by forest and high cliffs. Not far away, there was a small house, and someone inside was definitely aware of the machine's arrival. An older man and a girl hurried out of the house and over to the Granolith. As they approached it, it ejected its three occupants, and Tess and Isabel suddenly found themselves on their knees in the grass.**

**"I am Zory," the old man said in Antarian, "This is my daughter, Tryla. I thought there would be four of you.**

**"Just us," Tess replied, also in Antarian.**

**"I didn't know you could speak our language," Isabel said, surprised.**

**Tess nodded. "Nasedo prepared me to live on our planet. It was his purpose… besides protecting me. He awakened my memories and taught me what I would need to know to survive. He could have done the same for you and Max and Michael… if he had raised you."**

**"That thought just plain scares me, Tess." **

**"You wouldn't have grown up so ignorant of who you are if he had raised you," Tess said, then she turned to the old man and the girl, who appeared to be about seventeen…**

**"We will need someone to take the other one of us to a healer or to one of our scientists who can regenerate badly injured bodies. The patient is inside here."**

**The old man looked at the roll of carpet and shook his head sadly. "Kivar banished most of our scientists. It may be difficult to find one on Antar anymore."**

**Tess closed her eyes and groaned. "Then take me to Kivar."**

**The old man and the girl both recoiled, quite obviously shocked by this request.**

**"I need to know where to find one of our scientists to heal Alex," Tess explained, "And if Kivar has banished them, he will know where they are."**

**The old man nodded solemnly… "I will tell you where you can find Kivar, but I will not take you. You will have to go on your own. Kivar would kill me… or torture me… or both… if I were caught. I am the keeper of the Granolith, and Kivar is searching for me."**

**"Where can I find him then?"**

**"In the palace, of course. You will need to walk along the river until you get to the small settlement of Starkeen-Lom. From there, someone will take you into the city. You will see the palace. If you want, you may leave your indisposed companion here so that you can travel more easily, but you must not bring Kivar here… and he must not know where the Granolith is."**

**Tess nodded. "Are you ready for a walk, Isabel?"**

**"No. I'm staying with Alex. Besides, Kivar may find it suspicious if he knows I'm here. Are you sure you know what you're doing, Tess?"**

**"Yeah… sure… I can handle Kivar, trust me."**

**"Do I have any choice?"**

**Tess shook her head. Then she set out walking along the river in the direction indicated by Zory. After a little over an hour, Tess came to the settlement of Starkeen-Lom, and there, she quickly found a good Samaritan willing to drive her to the capitol; though like most Antarians, it seemed, the young man did not wish to go near the palace himself. Tess accepted and thanked him. Twenty-five minutes later, she was in CoruzAntar. The young man dropped her off three blocks from the palace with a note of caution, which Tess acknowledged, seeming genuinely grateful for the advice. Then she walked off toward the palace.**

**At the entrance to the palace grounds, she was stopped by four guards, who were not the least bit inclined to allow her to pass; a few moments later, however, they happily escorted her into the palace, convinced that Kivar had sent for her and was expecting her. Tess' mind warps did work on full-blooded Antarians. This was good to know.**

**The four guards escorted Tess to the entrance of the throne room, where Kivar was at the moment, and left. Taking a deep breath, Tess knocked on the door then opened it. Kivar sat on the king's throne, meditating, and he looked up to see who had entered. He never expected it to be the person he saw in front of him…**

**"Ava?"**

**Tess nodded and smiled. "I could not bear being stuck on that backward rock any longer."**

**Kivar laughed. "I don't doubt that. But I'm quite sure that there are other reasons for your being here that you aren't telling me. You have no reason to want to ally yourself with me. Why are you really here, Ava?"**

**"You're right. I need information."**

**"Information? That's all?" Kivar laughed again. "You mean you have no hidden ulterior motive? No matter. I will find out what it is. How did you get here?"**

**"I hitch-hiked."**

**"What does that mean?"**

**"A traveler gave me a ride."**

**"A traveler… stopping off on that backward blue planet? Earth has never been high on the list of interplanetary stops and vacation spots, Ava… except for scientists looking for clues to primitive evolution. And Antar, I might add, has not been high on the list either, since I took over. Why would travelers go out of their way to bring you to Antar?"**

**"I mind-warped them."**

**Kivar laughed. "Well! That was straight-forward and honest. I didn't expect that. But you always were shameless, Ava. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that. I can work with people who want something and those who have 'agendas.' I understand them."**

**"I heard that you banished all of our scientists."**

**"Mmm… not all of them. I still have the important ones… the physicists and weapons developers."**

**"I didn't know there were weapons developers on Antar anymore."**

**Kivar waved his hand dismissively. "There weren't. But what else are physicists good for? They haven't complained. It's kept them alive… and off of some of the dreariest planets in the universe… where most of their colleagues are trying to survive right now."**

**"I need a healer."**

**"Well… that's no problem. I have healers."**

**"Not just any healer… a regeneration specialist."**

**Kivar chuckled then started to laugh… "For a black eye? That's vain even for you, isn't it, Ava? A bath and some cologne would do a lot more for you."**

**Tess reached up and felt her eye. It did hurt. Until now, she hadn't really noticed.**

**"A healer would be fine for my eye, Kivar… and… and the bath. I need a regeneration specialist to reconstruct… a friend."**

**Kivar raised one eyebrow. "A friend? Really? Now this I do find interesting! You have a friend, Ava? And not just any 'friend…' but one that you care enough about to come here and ask me to bring back a regeneration specialist, whom I banished to the other end of the galaxy… just because you ask me to. I'm perplexed, Ava. Either you have some motive that I haven't figured out yet or you're even more of an enigma than I realized."**

**"So do I get the regeneration specialist?"**

**Kivar thought for a moment and shook his head. "There's nothing in this for me."**

**"I'm here… begging you. Isn't that enough?"**

**"It's pleasant, I admit. But I have no reason to send a ship to the far side of the galaxy just to please you or to heal a friend of yours, Ava. Sorry. If you had something tangible to offer me, I might consider it, but you standing here before me, humbled and begging, is merely a pleasant diversion for me… one that I am already enjoying, without having to give you anything in return. I'm sure you see my point."**

**Tess nodded. "I expected that. That's why I brought Vilandra with me. I can give you Vilandra."**

**Kivar smiled and rubbed his chin with one hand. "Now that is much better. Still not enough… but much better. You realize, of course, that I can find out where Vilandra is without giving you anything. I have excellent methods for obtaining information. But surely you know that. What else do you have for me?"**

**"The keeper of the Granolith… and the Granolith."**

**Kivar perked up noticeably and, for the first time, he actually looked interested.**

**"I could still get the information from you my way, you know…"**

**"You could… but you might kill me trying. It is a risk that you will not take… considering what is at stake for you."**

**Kivar nodded then started to laugh again. "Oh, Ava! You are good! I knew there was something you were hiding! But it's not enough. I can't control the Granolith without the codes, and the keeper does not have the codes."**

**Tess' face fell, and Kivar could see that she had totally expected him to leap at this offer.**

**"You have something else, Ava."**

**"I don't. I have nothing else to give you, Kivar. I swear it."**

**"Oh, but you do. You're still hiding something from me. And whatever it is, it has to do with this alleged 'friend' whom you wish to have regenerated. How well do you handle torture, Ava?"**

**"You might lose everything if you try."**

**Kivar smiled and nodded. "True… but I might consider it anyway. That is something that you cannot be sure of. Tell me why this 'friend' is so important to you, Ava. And don't tell me that you are becoming sentimental. I'm not buying it. This person has something that you want very badly. What is it?"**

**Tess pursed her lips tightly together and scowled. This made Kivar smile, more certain than ever that he was on the right track. Tess took a deep breath and, with a look of total dejection, shook her head…**

**"I didn't come all the way here to have my prize ripped from my grasp, Kivar. I can resist your methods… even torture. You may kill me, but you will not get any more from me. Haven't I given you enough? I gave you Vilandra, the keeper of the Granolith, and the Granolith."**

**Kivar laughed again. "Well said, Ava… and exactly what I expected you to say. I think you'll find that I can be flexible… when it's in my interest. Whatever this secret of yours is worth to me, I'll give you thirty percent. I would take it, Ava. It's a very good offer. You won't get another one."**

**Tess swallowed and closed her eyes, a look of total frustration and resignation on her face… **

**"All right. The boy who is to be regenerated decoded the book for me…"**

**Kivar looked at Tess, suddenly interested… "The book… that book?"**

**Tess nodded. "The one you were never able to decode."**

**"It's ancient Antarian… and written in an unknown code besides… None of the scientists that I had look at it were ever able to decode a single word. You're telling me that a primitive Earth boy was able to do what I and all of my scientists could not?"**

**Tess smiled. "It seems so."**

**"Where is the decoded version?"**

**Tess smiled again. "In his head. He never got to write it down. In order to… convince him to help me, I had to mind warp him… over a period of two months. I didn't know that his mind would not be able to handle it. He died before he could give me the complete decoded version. His death would have been investigated, and I would have been suspected of causing it, so I made it appear that he had been in an accident… in his car… with a semi, an eighteen-wheel truck. Now do you understand why I need the regeneration specialist, Kivar? The person who controls the Granolith controls the universe."**

**"And that book contains all the information for controlling the Granolith… including the codes for all of its different functions."**

**Tess nodded, and Kivar smiled… **

**"NOW you have a deal."**

**tbc**


	19. Chapter 18

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Showdown At The Granolith**

**Chapter 18**

**XVIII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**"Hello, Vilandra!" **

**The voice behind Isabel was smooth and silky, but it sent chills and a bone-felt shudder through her body. She spun around, knowing, somewhere in the deepest recesses of her mind, what she would find. **

**"Kivar!"**

**Isabel stared into the eyes of her worst fears come true, then she noticed Tess standing nearby, a smile on her face. It didn't take much effort to add up the facts and come to a pretty certain conclusion…**

**"You brought Kivar here? My God, Tess! Is there anything you aren't capable of? I trusted you! We all trusted you! You betrayed us… You betrayed Alex!"**

**"Don't be so melodramatic, Isabel. That's life. Deal with it. Sometimes it sucks. I try to make sure that the sucky parts fall on someone other than me, that's all. You were naïve."**

**Isabel nodded, her heart aching with the pain of betrayal. It hurt, even if it was Tess who had done it. Tess! Of all the people she might have trusted! Tess! If Isabel had had a gun in her hands at that moment, she wasn't sure whose brains she would blow out with it… the little traitor's or her own… for being so useless and easily deceived.**

**"Ah! The Granolith!" Kivar said, spotting the machine, which still stood nearby in the grass. "The universe at my fingertips!"**

**Not far away, four of Kivar's guards held Zory and Tryla, who had already ceased to struggle, realizing that their end was now assured and imminent. **

**"You never intended to help Alex at all, did you, Tess," Isabel said sadly.**

**Tess seemed to smirk. "Shows what you know, Isabel. Kivar already sent a ship to get the best regeneration specialist Antar had. He's on a swamp planet called Da-wy'a, not very far from Antar. He'll be here by evening."**

**Isabel felt oddly relieved hearing this, though she had no reason to trust anything that Tess said anymore. Still, the idea of having Alex back gave her warm fuzzies inside. It was odd… totally incongruent with the other feelings she was experiencing at the moment… like a cute puppy that she just wanted to pick up and hug but couldn't get close to, because it was surrounded by crocodiles. But there it was, wagging its tail and waiting impatiently to smother her with puppy kisses.**

**For a moment, the briefest of moments, Isabel let the crocodiles go, and the puppy leapt into her arms… **

**Alex picked Isabel up, kissing her passionately, and spun her around and around.**

**"Alex! Oh, God, Alex!"**

**"I'm here, Iz. I'll save you. I'll never let them hurt you. I love you…"**

**"Vilandra?"**

**The vision of Alex wavered, then disappeared, as the silky voice brought Isabel back.**

**For a moment, the briefest of moments, Isabel seriously considered killing Kivar where he stood. It wasn't inconceivable. At the very least, she was quite sure that she could cause him some major pain before being killed herself, either by him or by his guards. But where would that leave Alex? It wouldn't help him. He would only be left alone on an alien planet with the little whore. That was inconceivable. Isabel saw that the crocodiles were back… and this time they were snapping hungrily… **

**"Later," she mumbled, not quite sure if it was an apology or a promise.**

**"Later what?" Kivar asked, his keen hearing picking up the muttered comment.**

**Isabel shook her head. "Nothing. I was just talking to myself."**

**Kivar laughed. "Living on that backward planet all those years would do that to anyone. No matter… you will soon rule at my side, Vilandra… as my mate and my queen."**

**Noticing that 'Vilandra' didn't seem to greet that news with the enthusiasm he thought it deserved, Kivar took her in his arms, somewhat roughly, and pressed his mouth against her unwelcoming lips. Isabel turned her head and squirmed to break Kivar's grasp, but that only seemed to excite Kivar more.**

**"Wouldn't you like to be the queen, Vilandra, with the handsomest man on Antar sitting at your side?"**

**Isabel started to shake her head, but unexpectedly, an image of Alex sitting beside her as the king came to mind, and she smiled.**

**"See? That's better! It only took a little reason. You do crave power, after all, Vilandra!"**

**Isabel smiled and nodded… _The power to remove your sorry ass from the universe, you bastard_, she thought to herself.**

**"When I am the master of the Granolith, you will have more power than you ever dreamed of, Vilandra! Ah, but first things first…" Kivar turned and looked again at the Granolith with adoring eyes. Isabel knew without a shadow of a doubt which one would be his real passion… and his real mistress. The Granolith. As horrible as that was to contemplate, Isabel almost felt relieved knowing that at least she would never be his primary obsession. It was a small comfort, especially when she considered the power the Granolith would give Kivar. He could, literally, control most of the known universe if he could control the Granolith. Now she felt guilty.**

**"Ava!" Kivar called, looking around for Tess… **

**Tess hurried over to Kivar's side.**

**"Ava, I need the override code for the Granolith… now."**

**Tess shook her head… "I… I told you… I don't have the codes, Kivar. Alex has them in his head."**

**"Ava, Ava, Ava…" Kivar took Tess' chin in his hand and turned her head both ways just a tiny bit… just enough to let her know that her life was in his hand… literally. A sudden twist, either way… and he could end it now.**

**"Ava, you know I'm no fool. You tell me that this Earth boy has the book decoded in his head, and I believe you. After all, what else would you want him for? But I know you better than you imagine, Ava. Ever since you were a young girl, I've watched you… I've kept track of you… Nasedo never knew. There is no way… no way at all… that you would have allowed that boy to die before obtaining the override code from him. If I am right, you got that information a very long time ago. It isn't everything, but with it, I will at least control the Granolith."**

**"Override code?" Isabel asked. "What's he talking about, Tess?"**

**"It's like the key to your car. The driver's manual may tell you how to operate all the functions, but the key gives you the power to start it and drive it. Right now, the Granolith is encoded with the handprints of the royal four. That's why I was able to bring us here. But by reciting the right code, someone could reset it to accept a different handprint… like Kivar's."**

**"Tess, you can't. If you do know the reset code… you can't…"**

**Tess shrugged. "Life sometimes sucks, Isabel. But it can still be good for us. We can rule with Kivar or we can die with those who don't. I've never been fond of the sucky parts myself."**

**"Please!" Zory cried, "For the love of all that's right, don't give it to him, Ava!"**

**"Don't," Tryla begged.**

**"Kill them," Kivar ordered, motioning to his guards. Two of the guards took out their knives, as the other two held Zory and Tryla.**

**"No, don't!" Tess said, stopping the guards. Then she turned to Kivar… "Don't kill them… not yet. We may need them. I'm… I'm not sure, but they may have information about the Granolith that we may need. At least wait until you have the information from Alex and know that there's nothing more that we need from them."**

**Kivar nodded then motioned to the guards, who put away their knives.**

**"You're right, Ava. There will be time enough for them to die… after we know that they have nothing more that we need. It is wise to be cautious."**

**Tess nodded.**

**"Now give me the code, Ava. Then come with me. I want you to be standing with me when I become the master of the Granolith."**

**Tess glanced at Isabel then at Zory and Tryla, and they thought they saw genuine sadness in her eyes. Her lower lip appeared to tremble, but she bit down on it to hide it and smiled at Kivar. Then she closed her eyes… and recited the code…**

**"Har'van-Dar-Jimov'das-Kordym-Lyyn'xma-Fronba-Maret-Plard'nas."**

**Zory gasped and hung his head in grief. **

**Tess carefully pronounced each word, as Kivar listened, memorizing the sentence. Then Kivar smiled. **

**Zory closed his eyes, and Tryla began to cry. **

**With one arm around Tess, Kivar stood next to the Granolith and carefully recited the words that Tess had given him…**

**"Har'van-Dar-Jimov'das-Kordym-Lyyn'xma-Fronba-Maret-Plard'nas."**

**As he finished saying the last word, the Granolith began to glow; then, for a moment, it became brighter than the sun. Zory, Tryla, and Isabel turned their heads away and put their hands over their eyes. As the light abated, they looked again, but Kivar and Tess were not there. Their bodies lay nearby, on the ground, smoking heavily and burned partly to ash. Isabel gasped.**

**"She knew what she was doing," Zory said. "She gave him the destroy code. It's a safeguard code that was intended to be used in the event that the rightful masters of the Granolith were ever forced to give up the code. It worked exactly as it was intended."**

**Isabel shook her head… "But it killed Tess."**

**Zory nodded. "She knew it would. It couldn't be helped. If she had refused to stand with Kivar, he would have realized that something was wrong. She saved all our lives… by giving up hers."**

**Isabel sobbed unexpectedly… "Damn you, Tess! Why couldn't you just be good or bad? You made me hate you, then like you, then hate you again, then you had to go and do this. If you were alive, I'd… I'd… probably hug you. You planned this all along, didn't you… to bring Kivar here and have the Granolith get rid of him? Why would you risk your life to get Kivar?"**

**"I think it was for your friend, Alex," Tryla said. **

**Isabel nodded, as she thought about it, then she looked around, suddenly remembering the guards, but it seemed that they had all run away after seeing what the Granolith did to Kivar… and chances are, they were miles away by now… and probably still running.**

**tbc**


	20. Chapter 19

**Thanks for the reviews, Alienstarburst and Red-rumm! I really appreciate it:)**

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**All The King's Horses…**

**Chapter 19**

**XIX**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**"Hello, Isabel."**

**The voice behind Isabel was soft and imbued with a unique sweetness. It gave Isabel a warm, happy feeling all over. She smiled and turned around, knowing exactly what she would find…**

**"Alex!" **

**Crouching with his hands on his knees atop a large rock, Alex smiled. Then he leapt to the ground, landing lightly on his feet in front of Isabel…**

**"So you're gonna try to put Humpty Dumpty back together again?" **

**Isabel wrinkled her nose and smiled then touched her hand lovingly to Alex's cheek… "Not Humpty Dumpty, Alex… someone a lot more special to me."**

**"You're not concerned about the old _'all the king's horses and all the king's men'_ thing then?"**

**Isabel shook her head, appearing totally confident. "The king's horses and the king's men won't be called on for this job, Alex. I've got someone more capable… a regeneration specialist."**

**"You really think it's possible, huh?"**

**"It's more than possible, Alex. It's going to happen. I'm not spending the rest of my life without you… not here, not anywhere. I've made up my mind. And when I've made up my mind…"**

**"Heaven help anyone who gets in the way… Is that what happened to Kivar?"**

**Isabel smiled. "Something like that. He had some crazy idea that he could substitute himself for you. I had to set him straight. I… I did have some help, though, Alex… from Tess."**

**"I know. Who do you think told me you were gonna put the old Whit together again?"**

**"You've seen Tess?"**

**Alex nodded.**

**"Why did she do that, Alex? Why did she make me hate her so much then go and sacrifice herself for you… for us?"**

**"Life is full of mysteries, Iz… like… what happened to all those crocodiles?"**

**"Croc… Omigod! Alex… those were only in my mind. I create things sometimes… in my mind… as a way to cope… You understand? I don't always even mean to do it… it just happens. How did you know about the crocodiles?"**

**"I saw them. I could see your feelings. You must have been pretty upset."**

**Isabel smiled and nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "I was, I guess, wasn't I? But you don't see any crocs now, do you, Alex?"**

**Alex shook his head and smiled. "No crocs… just throbs."**

**"huh?"**

**"Heart throbs… you know, my heart longing to be with you."**

**Isabel grinned and kissed Alex on the lips. "That was sweet, Alex. Do you… uh… you know… do you… have a heart?"**

**Alex smiled then laughed. "I don't know. Why don't you listen and see?"**

**Isabel placed her ear against Alex's chest and listened for several seconds, then she moved her ear and listened again. "I don't hear anything."**

**"I guess ghosts don't have a heart then, Iz… even ones who can make themselves solid for short periods of time. They better put me back together, 'cause I really need a heart."**

**Isabel smiled and touched Alex's cheek lovingly… "Alex… even without a heart you have a heart."**

**"But I need a real one, Iz… otherwise, what do I have to give to you?"**

**"Do you really want me to answer that, Alex," Isabel asked with a girlish grin. She was sure she noticed Alex blush ever so slightly, and she wondered if that was actually possible for a ghost.**

**Alex smiled sheepishly… "I guess you'd better make sure that they put me back together right then."**

**"I'll personally see to it," Isabel said, giving Alex a gentle kiss on the lips. This time she knew he blushed…**

**And she loved it.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**It was late afternoon when the hovercar pulled up quietly in front of the little house owned by Zory and his granddaughter, Tryla, and a man got out. Inside the house, Isabel and the others had been watching and waiting, and they knew, even from Kivar's brief description, that this was the one they were waiting for.**

**The man took a couple of bags from the hovercar, then the car and its driver left. Turning around to knock on the door, the newcomer nearly ran into Isabel, who was already outside and standing behind him.**

**"You're the regeneration specialist?" Tryla asked, stepping up beside Isabel.**

**"Yes," the man replied, with all the grimness of an undertaker, "Where is Kivar?" **

**Even though she did not understand the language, Isabel could sense that the specialist was not especially thrilled to be there.**

**"Kivar isn't here," Tryla said. "He had a slight… accident."**

**Isabel wasn't certain, but she could have sworn that the man's face seemed to brighten. But then why shouldn't it? Kivar had banished him to a dreary swamp planet and was only recalling him for a special job… one that anyone might assume would only favor Kivar's interests.**

**"Who is the patient," the specialist asked.**

**"A boy from Eluymer," Tryla said. "Kivar had need of him, but now you will be healing him for us… and for the boy's sake. His name is Alex."**

**"Can he… can he fix Tess, too?" Isabel asked hesitantly, wondering if she should be asking, but then feeling guilty for having doubts.**

**Tryla turned to the regeneration specialist and told him what had happened to Kivar and Tess, then she asked him what Isabel had asked.**

**"Is there at least ten percent of the body left," the specialist asked.**

**Tryla nodded. "Probably twenty-five percent."**

**"Then I can do it," the specialist said, "Will you want me to regenerate Kivar, too?"**

**Isabel understood that and shook her head… "No need. All the king's horses and all the king's men are going to be working on that." She knew that Tryla and the specialist didn't understand her reference to the Earth nursery rhyme, but they seemed to get her meaning… probably from her smile.**

**"Show me the patients," the specialist said.**

**Tryla turned to Zory, and the old man nodded. "You girls had best stay outside until it is done. What you would see will not be pleasant."**

**"I promised Alex I would make sure he was put together right," Isabel said, not really expecting Zory to understand… But he smiled… **

**"I will make sure that he is perfect for you… Isabel."**

**Isabel felt her cheeks become warm, as they reddened, and she smiled and nodded.**

**"It's okay," Tryla said, putting her arm around Isabel comfortingly, "The regeneration process does not put everything back together… It regenerates the damaged or destroyed parts. Then the healer salvages the memories and the core self of the patient and reactivates the physical body. It will be perfect, because it is created by the patient's own DNA. Do you understand?"**

**Isabel nodded. "But will it still be Alex?"**

**Tryla smiled and nodded. "The same Alex you always knew."**

**Isabel closed her eyes, and a feeling of relief flooded over her.**

**The sun was setting, when the door of the house reopened and Zory came out, followed by the specialist. They looked at Isabel, and she saw that both men had tears in their eyes… **

**"No…" Isabel whispered. "No, I don't want to hear it."**

**"Go inside," Zory said. "Go now."**

**Tryla put her arm around Isabel, and the two girls walked into the house. On the sofa sat Alex, and Tess had her arms around him. She was sobbing uncontrollably…**

**"Alex, I'm so sorry. Can you ever, ever forgive me?"**

**"I forgive you," Alex said, for the hundredth time, then he looked up at Isabel and smiled, and Isabel sat down beside him on the sofa. Carefully peeling Tess' arms from around Alex's neck, Isabel replaced them with her own…**

**"I forgive you, too, Tess," Isabel said. "But there's only room for one set of arms around Alex right now. And that's mine."**

**Tess sniffed and nodded. "I'm sorry for what happened, Isabel. I know I messed up. I don't know what else to say."**

**Isabel kissed Alex passionately. When they finally looked at each other again, Isabel asked, "Well, did they put everything back where it should be?"**

**"Someday soon," Alex said, stars twinkling in his eyes… "Someday soon, Isabel… if you still love me… you'll find out."**

**"I'm counting the days," Isabel said with a wink, then she kissed him again.**

**tbc**


	21. Chapter 20

**Thanks so much for the feedback, Alienstarburst and Red-rumm! It's greatly appreciated!**

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Boy Who Would Be King, **

**And The One Who Wouldn't**

**Chapter 20**

**XX**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**"You see now why I don't like to talk about what happened in the past…" Alex said, looking uncomfortable about having told everyone as much as he had. "Whatever Tess did a long time ago, she's more than made up for it. She gave up her life to save me… and Isabel… and Zory and Tryla. And let's not forget that she got rid of Kivar in the process… The whole planet is grateful for that. The old slate has been wiped clean and started over. It's the right thing to do. Dwelling on what happened back then is only hurtful and embarrassing to Tess, and that's not the way I want to run my planet… or treat my friends…"**

**Liz smiled and nodded understandingly, laying her hand on his… "Alex, the only thing greater than your lovability… is your nobility. You deserve to be a king." **

**Alex smiled but rolled his eyes.**

**"You do!" Maria said, agreeing emphatically with Liz. "Alex, some people are born noble. You're one of them. Just accept it."**

**"Isabel was born noble," Alex protested, "Not me. I'm just the same Alex I always was."**

**"Exactly," Maria exclaimed. "That's our point exactly!"**

**Liz nodded. "Alex… you ARE exactly who you always were… That's why you deserve to be a king."**

**Alex sighed. "Well, apparently a lot of people here agree with you. I tried to tell them I was just a dumb kid from Roswell and didn't know squat about being a king, but they kept treating me like the king… And Isabel was royalty by rights… so eventually I just stopped fighting it. Arguing with them didn't seem to faze them anyway. I would say, "I'm not a king. I'm a plain dude from a little town on Earth," and they would smile and say, "We know. What would you like us to do next, your majesty?"**

**Liz and Maria laughed and nodded.**

**"Antarians can be kind of single minded," Liz said, smiling, "…when they know they're right."**

**Alex nodded. He seemed to accept it, though not without some embarrassment.**

**"After Kivar was killed, Isabel, Tess, and I became some kind of heroes on Antar. It seems that nobody had ever liked Kivar very much… even his closest confidants and his own guards. At first, they put us up in a very nice place, kind of like a hotel, for several weeks, then they gave us our own homes in CoruzAntar, the capitol. In the beginning, the people kept asking us about Max and Michael. They called them Zan and Rath. They wanted to know when Zan and Rath were coming back to be their king and protector again. Six months after Isabel, Tess, and I got here, the Antarians put together a special team of three Antarians to travel to Earth and bring Max and Michael back. But Max and Michael both decided they wanted to stay on Earth. Max didn't want to be the king. **

**I had planned to return to Earth after they came back, but I got talked into staying here. It seemed like the right thing to do at that point, and Isabel agreed. Plus… well… we had gotten married in the meantime. Do you think Roswell would recognize an Antarian marriage?" **

**Alex chuckled, and the others laughed.**

**"Well, you could always get married again… on Earth, I guess," Liz said, "But I see your point."**

**"I was wondering about something you said earlier," Max said… "You seemed upset with my double in this dimension… but I think it goes deeper than just that he decided not to come back to Antar." **

**Alex nodded. "Well, honestly, it's not really our Max that I hate… it's his future self or whatever he is… the guy that came back and tried to get Liz to fall out of love with him… or to do something to make him fall out of love with her. But future or present, he's still Max, right?"**

**"Omigod," Liz said, turning red, "We derailed future Max's plan in our dimension. Max and Michael came back from their future, which wasn't as far ahead as future Max's, and we all intercepted future Max… but Max told me about what happened in the old timeline, before it was changed… I mean… what WOULD HAVE happened after future Max left if his plan had gone as intended. It happened in the time Max and Michael came from, but not in mine, because they stopped it."**

**Alex nodded… "But he wanted you to fall out of love with him. And because of him, you were hurt… I mean, our Liz was hurt. Our Liz couldn't do what Max from the future told her to do. She told our Max about him. But it took her a very long time to get over the hurt. She couldn't believe that in some future, any future, Max would want to force her away so that he could be with someone else."**

**"But he thought it would save the world," Michael said, "I never thought much of the future dude myself, but maybe you're being just a little hard on him, Alex. I mean, geez, he did love Liz. Their world was ending, and he… they… were doing everything they knew how to do to save it."**

**Alex shook his head. "I know. I considered that. I did. But there's one thing I've always known… even when I was a kid… Doing something that's wrong cannot make something else right. It just can't. And what he did was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! He only hurt Liz… She didn't do what he said, and the Earth didn't end anyway. So what did he accomplish? What would have happened if Liz had done what he said and made Max fall out of love with her? The world might have ended because of him."**

**"It did… I mean, it would have," Michael said, "We know that now. That's why we went back and intercepted him in our dimension and sent him packing back to his own time."**

**Alex nodded. "Well… I always suspected it. You just can't make things right by doing what is wrong. You can't do it!"**

**Liz smiled… "Where were you when I needed you? Never mind. Don't answer that, Alex. I know you didn't know about it at the time. In our dimension, my earlier self didn't tell anybody about future Max. But I… she… could have sure used your help." **

**Alex smiled.**

**"Well," Maria interjected, "I so, like, totally agree with you about the right and wrong thing, Alex, but there's probably something you ought to know. When we intercepted Max's future self or whatever he was… Liz and I were there. When our Max told him that his plan to make Liz fall out of love with him was going to fail, he wasn't upset… he was relieved. He actually cried. He said that he felt like he had been trying to sell his soul and that we had taken a terrible burden off his shoulders. After that, I could never hate him. He was wrong, but he really was doing what he thought was right… and it was killing him to do it."**

**Alex closed his eyes. **

**"Why did you have to tell me that, Maria? I've sort of enjoyed hating Max all these years. Well, maybe hating is too strong, but deploring his actions and… and whatever made him hurt Liz like that. I even justified the fact that I had taken his throne by telling myself that any SOB who would treat Liz that way didn't deserve to be the king. Now I'll have to stop hating him and consider whether I might have been wrong."**

**Sitting beside Liz, Max from the New Granolith grinned… then, unexplainably, he laughed… "Alex, you are the king here, and don't ever doubt that it was meant to be. If my double in this dimension didn't want to come back and take his throne, it was because he knew there was someone very capable already sitting on it… you and Isabel… and Antar wouldn't need him. Because of you and Isabel… and Tess… Kivar was gone and Antar had a new king, a good one. I'm quite certain that my double just looked at the facts and decided that you can't make a right by doing what is wrong."**

**"That's not fair, Max… throwing my own words back at me," Alex said, starting to grin in spite of himself… "But thanks, dude. I'll try to remember that."**

**Max nodded. "Anytime I can help with some words of wisdom… even if they're yours."**

**The others laughed.**

**"So how long have you and Isabel been the king and queen," Maria asked.**

**"Seven years, three months, and four days… in Earth time," Isabel said. **

**"You seem to have a prosperous planet," Max said. "Looks like you've been good for Antar."**

**Alex shrugged. "Common sense… and peace with our neighbors. Iz and I have promoted interchange of ideas and projects with the other planets in our sector… and with some that aren't in our sector. The result has been prosperity for everyone."**

**"I like your personal car," Michael said, "A Dyygitix-16 would cost two years of my salary on our Antar… and we're doing pretty well ourselves…"**

**Alex smiled. "One of the planets we trade with buys a lot of Dyygitix-sixteens from us. It's lowered the price considerably. Right now, it costs the average Antarian the equivalent of about six months' salary for a Dyygitix-sixteen. A Fan-Ji IV is about three months salary."**

**Michael turned to Max and grinned, his mind clearly working overtime on a plot… "Max… if we could trade with this Antar, interdimensionally, think of all the benefits for both planets…"**

**Max raised his eyebrows… "Trading with our own planet in another dimension… It's a novel concept. I'm pretty sure it's never been done. Interesting idea!"**

**"We'll trade with you," Alex said. "If you're interested, just have your accountants set up a co-op agreement with ours. You'll need proof of solvency and financial statements for the last five years…"**

**Liz and Maria laughed out loud, and Max grinned sheepishly, nodding… "No problem, Alex. We can do that."**

**"Alex the banker," Michael mused, grinning broadly, "When did you get to be so savvy, Alex?"**

**"Experience," Alex said with a sly grin. "I've got to protect the kingdom, you know."**

**Michael nodded.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**After dinner, Alex and Isabel assigned each couple or individual a guest room for the night. Then they all met on the large balcony on the second floor…**

**"Iz and I like to come out here and watch the stars at night," Alex said.**

**"It reminds me a bit of Frasier Woods," Isabel added with a wink. "The stars are different, but who can tell. It's like being back home on Earth… only I've got Alex with me now all the time."**

**"Well, you have to take the bad with the good, I guess," Michael joked. Liz slapped Michael playfully on the arm. "Michael, you're terrible!"**

**Michael grinned.**

**Alex put his arms around Isabel and kissed her, and she reciprocated. A moment later, the door behind them opened, and a grandmotherly Antarian lady peeked in.**

**"Come in, Matiya," Isabel said, "It's okay. We're all sort of family here. Are they ready?"**

**The lady smiled and nodded, then she opened the door and two little girls ran through the room and out onto the balcony and jumped into Alex and Isabel's arms.**

**"This is Maria Elizabeth," Isabel said, holding the eldest of the two, who appeared to be almost six. **

**"And this is Gloria Diane," Alex said, turning the smaller girl, who appeared to be about four, so that they could see her face.**

**"Oh my God, they're adorable!" Maria exclaimed, as she and Liz both rushed to hold them, getting there at the same time as Isabel and Tess, who had been standing on the other side.**

**"You named this one for your mother… and Alex's mother," Liz said, taking the four-year-old in her arms and kissing her then handing her to her mother's double, who looked like she might die if she had to wait one more second to hold the little girl.**

**Isabel nodded and handed the older girl to Maria. "And we named this one for the two best friends we had to leave behind."**

**Maria grinned and took Maria Elizabeth in her arms.**

**"Another reason we stayed here," Alex said with a wink. "The girls seem to have developed some unusual… abilities. I blame the Antarian air."**

**Isabel nodded. "When Maria Elizabeth was only three months old, we got our first clue that she might be different. I walked in to check on her, and the whole room had a soft glow. Maria Elizabeth didn't like the dark, so she just waved her little hand or wiggled her little nose or whatever she does and made it light. I still don't know how she does it, and she can't tell me." Isabel turned to her daughter… "How do you make the room light, sweetie?"**

**The little girl shrugged and smiled… "I just make the dark go away."**

**"See what I mean," Isabel said.**

**"Sounds pretty clear to me," Liz said, "She makes the dark go away."**

**Isabel laughed and nodded.**

**"Gloria Diane first started showing an unusual ability at about nine months," Alex said, "Or, at least, that's when we first became aware of it… but she may have come by hers honestly… from her mother… Isabel. We first realized something was going on when she kept appearing in our dreams."**

**"When she felt frightened or alone… or just in need of cuddling at night," Isabel said, "She came into our dreams with us. We finally realized that it wasn't just coincidence that we dreamed about her every night."**

**"And she made us all have the same dream together," Alex added. "She would come into Isabel's dream, then she would come get me and bring me into the dream with them. Sometimes she would get Maria Elizabeth and bring her into the dream, too. She still does."**

**"That's so sweet," Liz said.**

**Alex nodded. "Yeah, it is… but it kind of crimps my dream life, if you know what I mean. I haven't learned to put child locks on my mind yet, and sometimes when I start to have a great dream about Isabel and me… I wake up and shake my head, because I can't keep from thinking that Gloria Diane could just come toddling into the dream anytime with Maria Elizabeth by the hand."**

**"And I thought Zorel was a handful when he was little," Michael laughed. "He would stand outside our bedroom door and call for us at night if he heard a noise or had a bad dream or something, and if we ignored him too long, he blasted the lock and let himself in. But at least the blast gave us plenty of warning he was coming… and I could always get more locks."**

**"Gloria Diane will learn to use her ability more discretely as she grows older," Isabel said. "Until then, we can live with it."**

**Alex smiled and nodded. "They're only this age for a few short years. Some day I'll look back and say, what happened to those good old times… when Gloria Diane would bring us all together at night to cuddle."**

**Alex looked at Liz and Maria, and both of them had tears running down their faces.**

**"Wha… did I say something? I'm so sorry! Really, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"**

**Liz shook her head and sniffed. "You didn't say anything wrong, Alex. You just made me think about how much I've been missing my own children. I haven't seen them in almost two months, and I never intended to be away from them so long."**

**Maria, Isabel, and Tess from the New Granolith were sniffing, too; and Max, Michael, Alex, and Varec looked so glum that Alex wished he could take back everything he had said.**

**"I'm sorry," Alex said again, apologetically.**

**Maria wiped her eyes and smiled. "Don't be sorry, Alex. What you said was beautiful. We wouldn't be crying if it weren't. We're just all missing our children. You and Isabel are so lucky!"**

**"But I didn't want to hurt you, Maria… any of you."**

**"You didn't, Alex. Being away from our families and our homes so long hurts us. But being here with you… this is the closest thing we've experienced to home since we've been gone; and that's unexpected, because your planet is the most different in a lot of ways. But there's a feeling of home here."**

**Alex looked around the room, and the others were nodding. He sighed deeply and hugged Isabel and his two little girls together in his arms. "This IS home. This is where Isabel and my girls are… It's where my heart is."**

**"Do you ever miss Earth," Michael asked.**

**Alex nodded. "We miss it… but like I said, my heart and soul are right here."**

**"That's why it feels like home," Liz said. **

**Maria smiled and nodded… "Because it is home. It's your home, and we feel it, because you feel it so strongly."**

**Alex smiled. "It would be wonderful to see my parents again… and our friends… but the team that was sent to Earth to try to bring Max and Michael back destroyed the only ship we had capable of going that far. They pushed it past its limits and… sort of blew the engines. It was an old model. It can't be fixed. But we're building a new one… a better one… more modern. It will be ready in eighteen months. We trade all the time within our system and have a lot of good ships, but Earth is seven galaxies away."**

**"A year and a half!" Liz exclaimed. "Alex, you need to find Varec… if he's here on your Antar."**

**Max and Michael laughed and nodded.**

**Liz turned to Max with a grin, and he took a deep breath. He knew that look. It was the "Can't-we-do-something-to-help-them" look. Max looked at Michael, and Michael just smiled.**

**Max turned back to Liz and shrugged, without saying anything. He didn't have to. **

**"We can get to Earth in five days… maybe four," Liz said, "In the New Granolith. If you could take a few days off, we could take you to see your parents and friends."**

**Alex and Isabel both smiled from ear to ear, and Isabel collected the girls up into her arms…**

**"Would you girls like to meet Grandma and Grandpa?"**

**The girls' smiles lit up the room. Alex looked back at Max, then he reached out and took Max's hand in his, with all the warmth of a perfect Antarian hand shake.**

**tbc**


	22. Chapter 21

Thanks for the feedback on chapter 20, Red-rumm! As always, it's greatly appreciatred!

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Roswell Revisited**

**Chapter 21**

**XXI**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Jim Valenti looked up from his desk, as his office door opened and Deputy Hansen looked in…**

**"Uh, Sheriff, there's some people out here that say they want to talk to you… if you have time.**

**"Anyone I know, Hansen?"**

**"No, sir… I don't think so. They say they're travelers and they've got a problem that only you can help them with."**

**"They asked for the sheriff?"**

**No, sir… I mean, yes, sir… I mean they asked for you, sir… specifically… by name."**

**Sheriff Valenti smiled but looked amused… "Well, I never knew I had any kind of reputation outside of Roswell, but okay, show 'em in. I guess I can give 'em a few minutes."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**Hansen turned to the people waiting outside… "You folks can come in now. The sheriff will see you."**

**As Jim watched, three young couples, a fourth young woman, and two little girls walked into his office. Jim stood up and stepped out from behind his desk…**

**"How can I help you folks? Are you planning to stay with us a while or just passing through?"**

**"A bit of both," answered one of the young men, a handsome blond who looked amazingly like a young Robert Redford, "We came to see family, but we won't be staying."**

**"You have family here?" Jim asked, a bit surprised, "Do I know them?"**

**The young man nodded cautiously, trying to judge the sheriff's reaction as he spoke…**

**"Chuck and Gloria Whitman… and Philip and Diane Evans…"**

**Jim looked at the group again, one by one, and his face became suddenly more serious…**

**"Where did you folks say you're from?"**

**The young man took a deep breath. "I don't think we did say, and that's kind of the reason we need your help, sheriff. We're not from around here… well, not anymore anyway. It's kind of hard to explain. I'm just going to show you."**

**The young man motioned toward the fourth young woman, and she gave him a sort of "are-you-sure" look. He nodded again, and as he did, his entire look began to change… eyes, lips, hair… everything.**

**Jim instinctively reached for his gun, but he didn't pull it out of the holster. Instead, he looked back and forth several times between the young man and the young woman who had somehow changed him, then he set his jaw and looked at the young man in deadly earnestness…**

**"Whoever you are… I think you should know that I am rarely in a mood to play 'guess-the-alien,' and that goes double for today. You just made one very big mistake. Alex Whitman died in a car accident back about seven years ago. So you're impersonating the wrong person."**

**Jim walked to his office door and called for Hansen, then he looked back at the Alex look-alike, and as he did, his eyes somehow were drawn to the two little girls standing at his side.**

**"Sir?" Hansen asked, hurrying to the door.**

**Jim looked at the girls and swallowed.**

**"Sir?" Hansen asked again, "Did you need me?"**

**Jim nodded. "Yes, I did… I mean I do. Hansen…"**

**"Yes, sir?" **

**Jim looked at the young man then at the girls again… **

**"If anyone wants to see me for the rest of the day… I'm going to be unavailable."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**Jim closed his door and looked at each of his "guests" again… "I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say that none of you is what you appear to be… except these two little girls. I should have seen it before…" **

**Jim walked over to one of the little girls and put his hand under her chin, lifting her eyes up to meet his…**

**"I remember a little girl who came to us years ago… one who looked just like this one. Only that one had no known parents, and she was found wandering in the desert. What's your name, sweetheart?"**

**The little girl looked at her mother, and her mother said softly, "Chahad na-ee… sto sha dral."**

**The little girl smiled and looked at Jim… "Gloria Diane."**

**"Gloria Diane… Whitman," Jim said, adding the last name for her.**

**The little girl nodded.**

**"And what's your name," Jim asked the other little girl.**

**"Mali."**

**"Chahad dra na-ee," the mother said.**

**"Maria 'Lizabeth," the little girl corrected… "Mali."**

**"Mali," Jim nodded.**

**"Gidi," the little girl added, smiling and pointing at her sister.**

**Jim nodded. "Mali and Gidi… Maria Elizabeth and Gloria Diane. I don't consider myself a genius, but I've been told I'm pretty good at figuring out clues, and I've been putting a lot of them together here. The girl's names… You know, the disappearance of Alex's body seven years ago and of Isabel Evans and Tess Harding at the same time was a mystery in this town for a long time. Actually, people are still talking about it. I always thought foul play was involved myself. It didn't seem right that Isabel Evans would disappear like that… Tess Harding, maybe… a body, maybe… but not Isabel. I never found a shred of evidence, but my theory was that Tess stole the body to eliminate some kind of incriminating evidence, and Isabel caught her and wound up getting killed as a result… maybe they both killed each other… or maybe Tess fled afterward…**

**But now I've got a new theory. All of you were in on it… Max, Michael, Tess, Isabel… probably Liz and Maria, too. You stole the body, and Tess took it to the one place where they might be able to do something for him. Isabel went along… either by plan or by accident… I still don't know why she would disappear without saying a word to her parents… just leave them to suffer like that. How am I doing so far?"**

**"You've got just enough of it right to have it all screwed up," one of the guests, a tall, blond, almost white-haired young man said drolly.**

**"Ah! And you would be… let me guess…" Jim said. "Spike, right? Spike… and Buffy."**

**The tall, light-haired man looked at the young woman beside him then back at Jim… "You know who Spike and Buffy are?" **

**Jim ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. "I may look old to you kids, but I don't live in a vacuum. You're damn lucky you didn't attract attention walking over here looking like that! That was incredibly STUPID for someone who's trying to hide."**

**"People come to Roswell all the time made up to look like aliens, TV stars, whatever…" the tall man said. "Nobody pays them any attention. The alien convention starts in three days. It's a 'circus' out there."**

**Jim nodded. "Okay, I'll drop the 'in.' It was CREDIBLY STUPID." Jim looked at the girl who had changed Alex back… "Change them back, too."**

**She looked at the Spike look-alike, and he nodded. **

**"I should have known," Jim said, "Spike and Buffy… Michael and Maria. Of course!"**

**Jim looked at the pretty redhead, who had already been identified as the mother of the girls…**

**"Isabel," he said with certainty.**

**Isabel nodded, as Tess changed her back.**

**"I wasn't quite sure who you were patterned after," Jim admitted.**

**"Lucille Ball," Isabel whispered, "and Willow… a little bit of each."**

**Jim nodded. "You were Lucy… and Alex was Robert Redford…"**

**"Actually, I was going for Brad Pitt with Alex," Tess said, "Not Robert Redford."**

**Jim walked over to the third couple and looked the young woman over. She was a dead ringer for Jessica Alba. "Liz," he said with certainty, then he turned and looked at the young man with her and grinned…**

**"Did you piss Tess off, Max?"**

**"It was Michael's idea," Max groaned. "I trusted him."**

**Michael snorted. "You should watch more classic TV, Max. Then you'd have known."**

**"You said he was a pirate," Max protested. **

**"He was… in one episode."**

**"Pirates are usually swashbuckling… action types… not this."**

**"I tried to tell you," Tess said.**

**"I know," Max sighed, "But someone had already seen us. I couldn't be changed again out in the open. I just had to go with it."**

**Jim nodded.**

**"Take the warp off," Max said. Tess grinned and complied.**

**"I kind of liked the whole Urkel look, Max," Jim said with a grin. "You might want to use it more often." **

**Jim was sure he saw Max's ears reddening. **

**"And Rory Gilmore over here is Tess… interesting," Jim said, raising his eyebrows. "So, Michael… what did I get wrong?"**

**"We weren't all in on it. We're not even who you think we are," Michael said, noticing the look of concern return to Jim's eyes.**

**"Oh, I'm Michael Guerin and he's Max Evans… and that's Liz… and Maria… just not the ones you know. We're from a different dimension. Alex, Isabel, and Tess here are from this dimension. The rest of us are not. We're kind of… helping them out is all. They needed a ride home. Our doubles in this dimension weren't involved in the disappearances. They don't know any more than you did."**

**"So… there are different dimensions, too?" Jim asked cautiously… "You mean, there could be an infinite number of Michael Guerins out there somewhere?"**

**Michael shrugged and smiled. "I guess so."**

**"Oh God!" Jim said, sitting down again. **

**Max chuckled and nodded. "Scary, isn't it?"**

**"Don't blame me because you don't know the classics, Max," Michael chided.**

**"All right… okay…" Jim said, "All other issues aside, why are you here? I mean… in my office? What is it that you need from me?"**

**"Well," Max said, "We wanted the girls to see their grandparents and Alex and Isabel to see their parents again… but there's a little problem. Alex died seven years ago, and everybody in town knows it. If he just pops back up without a really good explanation, it could be chaos. And I can't even guess what his parents would think. They don't know about us. My parents… I mean Isabel's parents… don't either, not for sure. We were hoping that you could help us come up with an official explanation for the disappearances and reappearances… like Alex wasn't really in a car wreck, he was working on a secret government coding project or something… and Isabel was helping him… and Tess went to California or something. We thought you could come up with something credible… so they can… you know… appear again."**

**Jim let out a long breath. "You don't ask for miracles, do you, Max? Let me think about it. I'll see what I can come up with." Jim looked at Mali and Gidi and winked. "We all want these girls to see their grandparents after all."**

**"Thank you," Max said softly. **

**"How did you get here," Jim asked, his mind already going to work on a plan… "Do you have a space ship or something hidden out there in the desert?"**

**Max smiled. "It's hidden… but not in the desert."**

**"Where is it?"**

**Max pointed upward and grinned.**

**Jim walked to the window and looked up, but he saw nothing but a blue sky and a few clouds.**

**"You won't see it," Max said, "It's enveloped in an invisibility shield. But it's there… directly above us."**

**"How big of a ship are we talking about," Jim asked.**

**"Big," Max replied. "If it weren't encased in the invisibility shield, a quarter of Roswell would have the sun blocked out right now."**

**"That's… big," Jim agreed. **

**Max nodded.**

**"I think I may be able to solve your problem," Jim said. "Go back to your ship and wait for me to contact you. Uh… how do I do that, by the way?"**

**Michael reached into his pocket and took out a small item that looked like a tie clip, then he handed it to Jim.**

**"What's this?"**

**"It's a communication device. You press it here then speak into it. We'll get the message. It's not two-way, so we can't answer back… but we'll get back to you."**

**Jim nodded. "Okay. Can I offer some advice?"**

**Max nodded.**

**"Don't use the disguises you used when you came here. They're bound to draw attention, convention or no convention coming up. People expect to see masks, paint, fake antennae, all that stuff… not the real items… and not something that looks like the real items. Attention is something you want to avoid, even in disguise." **

**Michael nodded then took out another small device and passed his right hand over it. Suddenly, part of the room was flooded in an odd soft light…**

**"We won't need the disguises. We'll wait for you to call."**

**Michael stepped into the light and disappeared, then each of the others did the same, leaving Jim standing in the room alone. For a moment, Jim wondered if what had just happened had really happened, then he noticed the communication pin in his hand. He clipped it onto the underside of his collar, out of sight, and opened the door of his office. **

**Hansen was sitting at a desk in the lobby, his head resting on his hands, and he jumped up when Jim walked in.**

**"Sorry, sir… I was just resting. I've been working late hours recently."**

**"It's okay," Jim said. "Go ahead and relax. I know I've been working you pretty hard."**

**"Did you leave those people in your office alone, sir?"**

**"They left already. Didn't you see them?"**

**"N- No, sir. I… I didn't."**

**Jim nodded. "Watch the office for me, okay, Hansen? I've got to go see someone. I expect to be back before closing time."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**Jim left the building, closing the door behind him. Hansen sat at his desk for several moments, with a puzzled look on his face, then he got up and walked into Jim's office. The people were gone. Hansen looked out the window and shook his head, then he sat down on Jim's chair…**

**"The only other way they could have got out of here is if they climbed out the window and down the wall. I've got to be working too hard… They walked right past me, and I slept through it. It's the only possibility. Hansen… note to self: Get a full night's sleep tonight. You're starting to zombie out."**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**The group of friends on the New Granolith didn't have to wait long to hear from Jim. A little over three hours after they returned to the ship, the communicator light came on.**

**"Sheriff Valenti is trying to contact us," Liz said.**

**Varec handed Max something he had hurriedly improvised that looked vaguely like a cell phone, but instead of keys for all the numbers from 0 to 9 it had a single button in the middle.**

**"What do I do with it," Max asked.**

**"Just press the button. It's cross-linked with the earth system and calibrated to the number in the sheriff's personal office."**

**"You tapped into his phone?"**

**Varec nodded.**

**Max smiled and pressed the button. As he did, the phone in Jim's office began to ring, and Jim picked it up… **

**"Roswell Sheriff's Office… Jim Valenti speaking. How can I help you?" **

**"We're returning your call, Sheriff." **

**"Max?"**

**"Did you come up with a plan, sheriff?"**

**"Max, how did you…? If you have a phone up there, why didn't you just give me the number?"**

**"It's unlisted."**

**Jim removed the receiver from his ear and looked at it as though it had malfunctioned, then he put it back to his ear again…**

**"You tapped into my line."**

**"Yes."**

**Jim shook his head. "I solved your problem. Shine that light thing down here in my office again so I can come up there, and we'll discuss it."**

**There was a short pause, then Max came back on the line. "Okay. Be ready."**

**"I'm ready now," Jim said.**

**A moment later, a part of the room was awash in a soft, almost invisible light that was, in reality, composed of magnetic ions rather than light as we know it. Jim turned to Chuck and Gloria Whitman then to Philip and Diane Evans and held out his hand…**

**"I'll go first if you'd like."**

**"We'll all go together," Philip said.**

**Jim nodded and stepped into the ion field, and the others did the same. Then they all disappeared.**

**On the New Granolith, five new "guests" appeared. The door of the transference chamber opened, and Jim stepped out into the ship followed by Chuck and Gloria Whitman then Philip and Diane Evans. Max, Michael, and the others were all there, waiting. But this time, the surprise was on them… They had only expected to see Jim.**

**Diane spotted Isabel immediately and rushed past the others, with Philip right behind her, to hug her daughter. She tried to speak but found the words too hard, and both of them wound up just holding each other and sobbing. Chuck and Gloria Whitman rushed to Alex's side, huge smiles on both of their faces and tears of joy in their eyes. **

**"Jim… what did you tell them," Max asked in a whisper. "We need to get our stories coordinated."**

**"The truth," Jim said. **

**Max looked at Jim, incredulous.**

**"You've got this whole big spaceship floating up here invisibly, Max. I thought about that and realized that you could all get together here and not have to worry about what anyone else knew or didn't know… You've got total privacy here. I told them the simple, unvarnished truth, Max. Trust them a little bit. Those of us who are in the next generation up from you aren't totally incapable of understanding or accepting the truth… even when it's as bizarre as this is right now. We just need logical… or at least reasonable… explanations. That's what I tried to give them."**

**"And they believed you?"**

**Jim shrugged. "They're here, aren't they?" **

**Diane knelt down in front of Mali and Gidi and looked into their faces. "This one looks just like you, Isabel, when you were her age."**

**Isabel nodded and wiped her still-tear-filled eyes… "Gidi… Mali… Myy'la t'l alad na Grandma Evans."**

**"Grandma Evans," Gidi repeated, throwing her arms around Diane and hugging her tightly, as Mali threw her arms around her, too. Diane hugged Gidi and Mali to her and found her tears starting to flow again. If Diane had had her way, she probably would have held the girls until they had to beg to be let go, but Gloria and Chuck Whitman were already anxiously waiting to meet them, too.**

**"Gidi… Mali… Myy'la t'l alad na Grandma Whitman, Grandpa Whitman."**

**Both girls threw their arms around Alex's parents -their grandparents- and hugged them tightly.**

**"Grandma… Grandpa…" Mali said softly, enjoying the sound of the alien words that felt somehow so right.**

**"Ta myy'la t'l alad na Grandpa Evans," Isabel said, as Philip held out his arms to the girls. Both Gidi and Mali climbed into Philip's arms, and he picked them both up and held them, kissing them each on the cheek and smiling from ear to ear…**

**"I never thought this day would come," Chuck Whitman said, as he stood with his arm around Alex's shoulders, his own eyes brimming with tears in spite of the enormous smile on his face. "It's a miracle!"**

**Gloria put one hand on each side of her son's face and kissed him yet again, then she looked at him and smiled. "It IS a miracle, you know, Alex."**

**Alex nodded. "I know, Mom. I've wanted to share it with you and Dad for the last seven years, but I had to wait for these guys to come along and make it happen. I didn't have a spaceship that could make it back to earth again. We're building one now."**

**Charles nodded understandingly… "Are you happy, Alex? Jim said you would be going back. Is that because of the girls?"**

**"Well, yeah, Dad… it's the girls… but there's more than that that you don't know yet. Sheriff Valenti doesn't know either. I kind of have to go back. I have a… a job."**

**Gloria laughed. "Oh, Alex! I think they would understand if you quit your job. It's not like you don't have a good reason. Are they treating you well? Do you have everything you need? Do they pay you enough to live on… comfortably, I mean?" **

**Alex shook his head and smiled, then he looked at his dad. "I don't have you and Dad, Mom. But except for that… yeah… they treat me well. I have everything else I need."**

**"Just stay here for a while, Alex…" Gloria said, "A few months… a year. I'm sure you'll change your mind and stay with us if you just give it a chance. You're feeling grateful because they saved your life. That's understandable. But you belong here with us. Please stay, Alex."**

**Alex shook his head again… "I can't, Mom. I would dearly love to be near you and Dad, but I have a job… an… important job. I can't just walk away from it. Too many people depend on me now."**

**"Your dad could get you a job at the mill, Alex. It doesn't pay much to start, but they advance good workers there quickly. You could bring your family and live with us until you're able to save up and get a place of your own. If the mill doesn't suit you, there are other jobs… you could even find something in another city. Finish your senior year of high school… or take the GED. Go to college. Then you can get a real job… a good job. Alex, anything would be closer than where you are!"**

**"I can't, Mom. Believe me when I tell you this, I love you… and Dad, too… with all my heart, but I can't. I… I belong there now. They need me."**

**Gloria sighed. "You always were a diligent son, Alex. If I can't convince you to stay here with us now that you're back, I hope they at least appreciate you up there."**

**"They do," Isabel said, walking over and putting an arm around her husband, "They made him the king… of the planet."**

**For several long moments, nobody spoke. It seemed like longer than it actually was, especially to Alex. He had actually wanted to tell his parents this small detail, but somehow he hadn't been able to figure out how to do it in a way that would not seem, at least to him, immodest. **

**At this moment, a part of Alex wanted to run and hide under a table. It wasn't that he was shy. He wasn't. In fact, Mister "I-The-Stud," Mister "Spank-the cop," could be quite outgoing, even dicey, at times, but there was also this odd streak of modesty, and right now, it was in full bloom. **

**Isabel, on the other hand, was enjoying the Whitmans', her own parents', and Jim's reactions immensely. Her eyes seemed to dance when she said that Alex was the king. It embarrassed Alex, but he had to admit to himself that he loved it. He would probably never understand what Isabel, who in his eyes was simply born beautiful, and a princess by all rights, actually saw in him. But he loved it when Isabel lavished praise on him. Isabel could have told everyone that she was the queen, but her first thought… her only thought… had been for him. It gave her an almost child-like joy to say, "Alex is the king… my Alex!" **

**"King?" Chuck asked, finally breaking the silence… "As in… castle and all that?"**

**"It's more like a palace, Dad."**

**"Oh." Chuck nodded. "I guess you won't be needing that recommendation at the mill then."**

**Alex shook his head. "No, Dad."**

**"I'd love to hear how this all came about," Chuck said. Mrs. Whitman nodded… "So would I!"**

**Alex smiled… "It's a long story, Dad… and boring. The gist of it is that their king… the legitimate one… was killed by a bad dude named Kivar, and his DNA was secretly preserved so that he could be regrown from a baby and brought back, but with his former memories intact. That's the way it was supposed to be. But when it was time for him to come back, he had fallen in love and didn't want to be the king anymore or come back to his planet. He was happy where he was with his new bride. After Tess took me to Antar with her to be healed, she tricked Kivar into annihilating himself, and Iz and I got the planet's government back on an even keel. The people there got to know us and… well, they just decided that Iz and I would be a good king and queen. And we took the job."**

**"That's it?" Gloria asked.**

**Alex shrugged. "I told you it was boring."**

**"Well, I don't think it was boring at all," Gloria said. "I can't wait to tell everyone."**

**"No, Mom! You can't! I'm sorry… but you can't tell anyone about this, Mom… You either, Dad. There's someone whose life could be in serious danger if certain people found out where he is…"**

**"The former king… he's here… on earth," Chuck surmised.**

**Alex nodded. "Your own lives could be in danger, too… from the same people."**

**"What people?" Chuck asked.**

**"Certain elements in the FBI… and in the army… and former followers of Kivar called 'skins.' They could be dangerous to you… if they had any idea that you had anything to do with the… you know… the 'aliens.'"**

**Chuck nodded. "I think I understand. Did you know about all this Jim?" **

**Sheriff Valenti shook his head. "Apparently not everything. Alex neglected to tell me that he and Isabel were the king and queen now."**

**"Did you know about this other alien king among us, Jim… the real one?"**

**"I heard… things… you know how it is in Roswell, Chuck. You hear all kinds of talk. You don't pay much attention to most of it… at least not where aliens are concerned."**

**"Jim… why do I think you know more than you're admitting?"**

**Jim smiled. "If I do, Chuck, it might be because I've told you all I can. You wouldn't want me to say anything that would endanger any citizens… or break any confidences… I'm sure."**

**Chuck nodded. "Fair enough."**

**"Whoever he is," Gloria said softly, "His people returned Alex to us, Charles. They must be good."**

**"Yeah…" Chuck nodded… "Yeah, they did, didn't they. You're right, Gloria. We owe them a huge debt. **

**Besides…" Chuck leaned over and picked up Mali… "In a way, we're related to them now. Our granddaughters were born on their planet. They're Antarians. They don't even speak our language."**

**Gloria knelt down in front of Gidi… "Gidi, how do you say 'I love you' in Antarian?"**

**Gidi smiled and threw her arms around her grandmother, hugging her tightly and kissing her.**

**Gloria looked at Chuck and grinned. "They speak my language, Chuck. I understand them just fine."**

**Chuck nodded and kissed Mali on the cheek, and she smiled and hugged him. He wiped his eyes with his free hand and smiled back at her. "We do speak the same language after all, don't we."**

**tbc**


	23. Chapter 22

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**My Home Is In The Stars**

**Chapter 22**

XXII 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

**_Oh give me a home where the wild pawgors roam_**

**_Where the yeggs and long-hair shebbles play_**

**_Where seldom is heard an English word_**

**_And the ocean is golden all day_**

**_Home, home on Antar_**

**_Where the jah-ee and jaras-dru play_**

**_Where cars float on air_**

**_And the skies are all clear_**

**_And the ocean is golden to stay…_**

**Alex ran through a bright and musically complex, if somewhat un-western-sounding rift to end the song then looked at his guitar again lovingly and set it down at his side, as Mali and Gidi clapped appreciatively.**

**"This is so awesome, Mom! I can't believe you thought to bring me my guitar!"**

**Gloria smiled, returning another hug from Mali, who was sitting in her lap. "Well, I've missed hearing you play it in your room every night before you go to bed, Alex. I… we, that is… have a lot of missed time to catch up on."**

**Alex smiled… "We do, don't we!"**

**"Interesting version of _Home On The Range_, son," Chuck said with a chuckle, as he balanced Gidi on his shoulders.**

**Alex grinned… "One of my first kingly requests was to have them make me a new guitar on Antar, and I made that version of the song up… kind of as a lark. Back then all I had was Frankenstein."**

**"Frankenstein?" Gloria asked, with a puzzled expression on her face.**

**Isabel nodded… "They made him four guitars before they got it right. Alex kept all four… and gave each one a name. 'Frankenstein' was the first one." **

**Alex chuckled… "They got it all wrong… It looked like it was made with parts from all over the galaxy… including some things nobody ever heard of before… all glued together. They had this big bolt coming out of the neck of the guitar to adjust the strings with. It reminded me of Frankenstein. I had to throw several people in the dungeon for that one."**

**Gloria gasped. **

**Chuck looked Alex in the eye, and a smile worked its way across Alex's face then he snorted and began to laugh, his eyes sparkling with a playful mischievousness. Chuck nodded understandingly.**

**"I'm kidding, Mom," Alex said, shaking his head, "No one went to the dungeons. I paid the artisans for each guitar… whether it was made right or not. We're pretty civilized on Antar… a lot more so now that Kivar is gone, I might add."**

**"What did you name the other three guitars they made for you," Gloria asked.**

**Alex shrugged… "'Frankenstein' was flat-bodied and short-necked, so when they made the second guitar they over-corrected and made the body really round and the neck super long… It almost looks like a sitar. The strings are so long that they tend to vibrate and make a weird droning sound. So I call it the 'Antarsitar…' or the 'RaviStarsitar.'"**

**"'Ravi' is Ravi Shankar, the Indian sitar player," Isabel said.**

**Alex nodded. "The third one they made for me is 'Flipper.' It looks really good… it's great for show… but it has a squeaky sound when it's played."**

**"He was going to call it 'Britney,'" Isabel said with a wink, "But he changed his mind."**

**Michael and Max looked at each other and groaned then laughed and slapped each other's hands… **

**"Isabel didn't like your fingers all over 'Britney,' huh?" Michael asked with a grin.**

**"The fourth guitar…" Alex started to say, ignoring Michael's comment… but then he hesitated and swallowed, and Isabel smiled.**

**"Go on," Maria coaxed.**

**"The fourth guitar… I named, 'Isabel,'" Alex said, appearing to blush slightly.**

**"ISABEL," Liz and Maria both repeated, looking at each other and winking.**

**"I don't know if that's a good thing… if it sounds like my sister," Max said teasingly.**

**Alex sighed. "No, you see… they finally got it right. It was perfect… It was everything I ever wanted and ten times more than I ever thought I'd get."**

**Liz looked at Maria, and both of them went, "Awwwwww" together, then Maria whacked Michael lightly on the back of the head.**

**"What? I didn't say anything this time," Michael exclaimed, "That was Max!"**

**"You were both thinking it… and the only reason you didn't say anything is because what you were thinking couldn't be said."**

**"Sometimes she's really scary," Michael said with a guilty grin on his face.**

**"What I want to know," Chuck Whitman said, "Is what the heck is a pawgor or a yegg… or a jah-ee… or a jaras-dru… or a shebble…"**

**"I was wondering that myself," Gloria laughed, "I'm glad you asked it for me! I couldn't remember them all!"**

**"Yeah, well…" Alex said, scratching his head and smiling, "Yeggs are kind of similar to buffalos, I guess. Shebbles are… kind of what deer might look like if they had long thick hair that reached all the way to the ground… or sheep if they had long legs like a deer and hair all the way to the ground. Jaras-dru are flash bugs… they're sort of giant fireflies or lightning bugs or whatever you want to call them, only bigger… about the size of a really big beetle or a small hummingbird. Their whole belly lights up and their rear end flashes. I actually never saw a pawgor before getting on this ship. I don't think I ever even met anyone who had seen one. I had heard of them, but… well, I'll let you decide what they look like. And the jah-ee is a mythological giant Antarian bird… It's a fairy tale."**

**Max shook his head.**

**"It's not a bird?" Alex asked.**

**"It is," Max replied.**

**"Not Antarian?"**

**"It's Antarian."**

**"Not… mythological?"**

**"Bingo," Max said with a grin. **

**"Ooo-kay," Alex said. "Every Antarian I know says they're a myth. I think I liked it better believing that."**

**Max laughed. "Don't worry. You'll probably never see one."**

**"I'm not even going to ask how you know they're real, Max."**

**"Good. It's a long story."**

**Michael snickered and nodded.**

**"Did you know that you have an accent when you speak Antarian," Max asked.**

**Alex groaned and nodded. "Mali and Gidi never stop reminding me."**

**"Jaras droosh," Max said, "Not jaras-dru."**

**"Jaras droosh," Alex said, pronouncing it perfectly.**

**"That was excellent," Michael exclaimed.**

**"I know," Alex nodded, "But jaras-dru is easier. That ending sound was not made for earth lips… or tongues. It's not exactly a 'shhh,' it's not exactly a 'ssss.' It's more like the sound a pressure cooker makes… or the wind blowing through a crack… very sibilant."**

**"But you did it perfectly," Liz said.**

**"He can speak with no accent at all when he tries," Isabel said. "When he talks to officials and important people, he enunciates perfectly."**

**Alex nodded… "Then I come home and suck ice chips to reduce the swelling in my tongue."**

**The others laughed.**

**"It's not that bad," Liz said, "You get used to it."**

**"I guess," Alex agreed. "Mali and Gidi have no problem with it… neither does Isabel."**

**"And neither do you when it's important," Isabel said, giving him a quick peck on the lips."**

**"You really like it there, don't you," Gloria said, reading the truth in Alex's eyes.**

**Alex nodded and smiled. "You should stand on our balcony on a warm summer night, Mom… with the one you love… with Dad… and watch the _jaras droosh_ light up the sky and the two moons rise over the Golden Sea. (Alex took care to pronounce 'jaras droosh' perfectly.) It's like… living in Disneyland and watching the fireworks from your own balcony every night… only better! I miss a lot of things about earth, but you know…" Alex paused and sighed… "My home is in the stars. It's where I belong… It's where WE belong." He reached his arms around Isabel and the girls and pulled them all three into his embrace. "It's home."**

**Gloria closed her eyes and smiled, and Diane sniffed and pulled out a handkerchief to dab her eyes with.**

**Isabel whispered something to Mali and Gidi, and the two girls' eyes lit up then they ran from the room. Noticing that everyone had turned to look at her, Isabel smiled. A few moments later, the door opened and the two girls came back in, both of them with their arms around something that could only be described as a very compliant saber-tooth tiger.**

**The first reaction was gasps, then absolute stunned silence. At some point, without realizing she had done it, Diane found that she had relocated onto Phillip's lap. Jim Valenti swallowed and fought an initial urge to place his hand on his gun… just as a precaution… but for some reason that even he couldn't explain, he never did. Gloria put both arms around Chuck and stared, speechless, at the impossible big-toothed cat. It was clearly tame. It even allowed its head to be tugged downward enough for the girls to get their arms around its neck… until it was in the room. Then it raised its head to look around… and lifted both girls, giggling, off the floor.**

**Jim looked at Max and Michael, and Max and Michael both grinned. The question was written all over Jim's face, but the words seemed to be hiding somewhere and wouldn't come out… which is what Jim had a strange feeling he should be doing… though somehow he knew instinctively that it would be useless. **

**"It's a pawgor," Max said, anticipating the unasked question. **

**"Do you… have a lot of these… on your planet," Phillip asked. "Doesn't it make it dangerous to live there? I mean… they can't all be as tame as this one appears to be."**

**"It would be dangerous if we had to live where they live… in the Nan-Torel forest," Max said, "But Antarians never go into the Nan-Torel, and pawgors never come out of the Nan-Torel… except Jung-Jo here, and you can thank our Jim for that."**

**"My double?" Jim asked, somewhat incredulous.**

**Max nodded. "Unlike Antarians, who are very intelligent, Jim likes to trek around in the Nan-Torel, hunting and learning about the wildlife there, and one day he found Jung-Jo trapped under a fallen tree. Jung-Jo was just a little guy then, and his mother had been killed by the falling tree. So Jim brought Jung-Jo home and took care of him. As it turned out, Jim's youngest son, Danyy, who was born on Antar, is able to talk to animals, and he befriended Jung-Jo. Nobody knew he had that ability until then.**

**"I'm shocked," Jim said.**

**"That you brought a pawgor home or that Danyy can talk to them?" Max asked.**

**"No… that you got me off of earth. What did you guys do… abduct me in your dimension?"**

**Michael laughed. "No, you came willingly."**

**"My feet have roots in that soil down there," Jim said, incredulous, "I can't imagine willingly going to another planet." **

**Jim reached out cautiously and touched Jung-Jo, who smiled contentedly and increased his purring.**

**"I can see myself bringing this guy home, though… I like him," Jim said.**

**Max nodded. "He likes you, too." **

**"You didn't have much choice about going to Antar with us in our dimension," Michael said, "Some elements in the FBI decided that since we were gone, all of you… our parents, and anyone else who had ever been touched by us… were the next best choice for lab rats. The FBI figured you might not be the aliens, but you could have been affected by them, so they rounded you all up, in cooperation with a secretive group from area 51, and had you quarantined on the army base. We just happened to come along in time to rescue you… I mean your doubles."**

**"Well, I guess things are different in this dimension," Jim retorted, "I don't think I'm going to be playing Buck Rogers. I'll stay on earth and take my chances." Jim smiled and rubbed Jung-Jo on the head. "I sure wish I had this guy, though. He'd be a great deputy!"**

**Max nodded and laughed. "Yeah, you're right, and things ARE different in this dimension. For one thing, Alex is the king and Isabel is the queen."**

**"In our dimension," Michael said, "Max and Liz are the king and queen."**

**"You know," Diane said, "Before you leave and go back to Antar, Isabel, I want you to talk to your brother. Max is living in Washington… the west coast state, not DC… with Liz. She's a physics professor at the University, and he's a private pilot for some bigwig there. You have to let Max know that you're okay… that you're still alive… and about Alex. It's only right that you should be the one to tell him. He'll want to talk to you."**

**Isabel looked at Max, and Max shrugged. "I guess we could make a stop in Washington to see my double. He is your brother. We're invisible in the New Granolith. It would only be another day or so out of our way."**

**Isabel smiled and nodded to her mother.**

**"If Max tries to get you to stay here," Diane said, "Tell him about all those things Alex was talking about… the yugs and sheepels and… and the Jar Jar Binks things that light up in the night. Don't tell him about the tigers, though."**

**Isabel giggled and started to laugh.**

**"I'm serious," Diane said, "If you tell him there's saber-tooth tigers and stuff running around up there, he'll do everything he can to keep you from going back."**

**"Thanks, Mom," Isabel said, kissing her mother, "That means a lot to me… especially since I know how much you want me to stay here yourself."**

**Diane nodded, and Isabel dissolved into laughter again. Everyone, by now, was looking at her.**

**"It's alright! I'm okay!" Isabel said, swallowing hard. Then she dissolved into hysterical laughter again.**

**"Isabel, what's got into you," Michael asked.**

**Isabel shook her head and put her hand over her face then began laughing again.**

**"Are you okay," Alex asked with growing concern, putting his arm around Isabel and lifting her face up to look at him. Isabel looked into Alex's eyes and dissolved into more hysterical laughter.**

**"I'm… I'm sorry… I'm sorry everyone. I just got an image in my mind that seemed so ludicrously funny that I couldn't help myself." Isabel started giggling again but managed to stifle it before dissolving into hysterics this time…**

**"When you referred to the jaras droosh as _those Jar Jar Binks things that light up in the night_, Mom, I got this picture in my mind of a whole bunch of Jar Jar Binkses flying around in the sky with their bellies glowing and their butts flashing." **

**Isabel started to laugh again and had to find a napkin to wipe the tears out of her eyes.**

**"That's not funny," Michael said soberly, "That's sick! Nobody would live on a planet like that."**

**"At this, Isabel lost it completely. **

**Watching Isabel laugh herself silly, it was hard for the others not to laugh, too, and within moments, the whole room was laughing, even Mali and Gidi, who had no idea what they were laughing about.**

**"I think Jar Jar has scared a few people off of THIS planet, too," Jim said, wiping his own eyes, after the laughter had died down somewhat.**

**"I like Jar Jar!" Liz said resolutely. "Everybody picks on poor Jar Jar. I think he's cute."**

**"Yeah, I like him, too," Maria said, backing up her best friend and putting her arm around her.**

**"How do you know about Jar Jar, in your dimension," Jim asked. "You've been away on another planet for a lot longer than our Isabel and Alex have."**

**Liz nodded. "Thanks to Varec, we get earth cable TV… well, it's more like satellite TV… bounced off of several stars and compressed into a microns-thin beam. We see everything that cable viewers see on earth… plus Antarian TV."**

**"You're stealing cable?" Jim asked.**

**Michael grinned. "It's a different dimension… not your territory, Sheriff. Besides, the Special Unit is getting billed for it."**

**"Oh, well, then…" Jim nodded, with an amused grin, "As long as someone is paying for it."**

**"I wish we had it on our Antar," Isabel said, "Do you think Varec could show us how to get it, too?"**

**"I didn't hear that," Jim said.**

**Max chuckled. "When earth and Antar forge a communications agreement, we'll honor it. In the meantime, I don't think anyone cares if we pick up earth cable TV… except maybe the Special Unit."**

**"You're probably right," Jim said… "Since they're paying for it."**

**Everyone laughed.**

**"Are you sure you have to go back to Antar, Isabel," Diane asked, as Mali took Diane's hand and placed it on Jung-Jo's back then smiled at her grandmother. "This is the happiest I've been for… well, since before you disappeared."**

**Isabel nodded… "It's our home now. Like Alex said, we belong there… on Antar. But in about eighteen months, we'll have a ship capable of returning to earth for visits. It'll be able to make the trip in ten days… not as fast as the New Granolith, but it will get us here."**

**"And I'll be looking for it," Diane said, as Phillip nodded in agreement.**

**Alex put his arm around his mother… "I'm going to miss you and Dad when we're gone, Mom! The girls are going to miss you, too. But I'm glad they finally got to meet you… and their other grandparents, too." He smiled at the Evanses, and Diane picked Mali and Gidi up and set them both on her lap together, then Phillip put his arm around them all.**

**Chuck Whitman glanced at his wife, and she smiled. "Your mom and I have been talking about it, Alex, and… well, Phillip has his law practice here, and he and Diane have Max in Washington. And Jim, well, he's the sheriff, and he has Kyle. But your mom and I, since I retired, have been doing a lot of not much… more like nothing. Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be when you've got an empty nest and the little bird is light years away… with his own little birds."**

**"What are you saying, Dad," Alex asked, praying silently that what he was thinking was right.**

**Chuck smiled… "That I'd kind of like to see those romantic Antarian nights with your mom… if the Antarians… and you… will have us."**

**Alex broke into a huge grin… "We would LOVE to have you and Mom nearby, Dad! And the Antarians will welcome you with open arms. We don't have a Special Unit. Heck, we don't even have an FBI. We just had Kivar, and now that he's gone, everybody's happy again."**

**Jim held out his hand to Chuck. "You're a brave man, Charles! Are you sure about this?"**

**Chuck nodded and took Jim's hand, shaking it.**

**"Then good luck," Jim said, "We'll miss you and Gloria. Maybe you can come back and see us sometime when that ship gets finished."**

**Chuck nodded again. "Thanks, Jim."**

**"What are you going to do with your house?" **

**"Would you lock it up for us, Jim? We'll try to get back by to pick up a few things if we make it back to visit. After that, I don't know. Maybe we'll give it to charity."**

**Jim nodded. "I'll lock it up for you." He looked around and sighed… "Well… as much as I've enjoyed this, I need to be getting back to the office. Hansen will have the bloodhounds out looking for me. Besides, I promised him I'd let him off early enough to get a full night's sleep tonight."**

**Gloria laughed. "You work that poor boy too hard, Sheriff."**

**Jim smiled and nodded. "I'll let him keep thinking that… for now."**

**"I've got a suggestion," Michael said, looking at the Evanses, "Since we're going to Washington to see Max and Liz, why don't you guys come with us. We'll bring you back here before we head off back to Antar."**

**"Michael, that's a wonderful idea," Maria exclaimed, hugging Michael.**

**Diane looked at Phillip, and he smiled and nodded. "It IS a great idea. Okay… We would love to!"**

**Michael looked at Max, and he nodded and smiled.**

**>>>>>>>>>>**

**A single figure reappeared in Jim Valenti's office at the Roswell Sheriff's Station, seemingly out of thin air. Jim looked around, taking stock of where he was, then walked to his door and opened it. Hansen was sitting at his desk in the outer office, and he sat up straight and stared at Jim, with a puzzled look…**

**"Where did you… What did you… How did you get in there, Sheriff?"**

**"I have the key," Jim said, "It's my office, remember?"**

**"Yeah, but…"**

**Jim smiled. "I'm letting you go home early tonight, Hansen… so you can get that sleep you've been missing."**

**"Thank you, sir… I think I need it."**

**Jim walked out of the sheriff's station, and Hansen stood up and walked over to Jim's office door, then he opened it and looked around inside, scratching his head… "How did he get in there without me seeing him go past me? If I keep going to sleep on the job like this, Jim's going to fire me!"**

**tbc**


	24. Chapter 23

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Rocky Mountain High North**

**Chapter 23**

**XXIII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The candle flickered, as the young woman kneeled and held up it in front of her face, staring at the flame. Then she carefully placed it on the altar of the little chapel high in the Northern Rocky Mountains. **

**"Someone very special?"**

**She looked up to see who had asked the question and saw an elderly man wearing a robe. **

**"Someone I once knew. He died in a car accident fifteen years ago."**

**The man in the robe nodded. "Do you know the proper way to do this… the candles?"**

**The young woman shook her head. "I'm sorry… I've never been to… you know… your church before. But a friend who comes here told me I could light a candle for him here. Is it okay?"**

**The man smiled understandingly. "I prefer to think that it's God's church rather than mine. He's the authority. I keep the doors open all the time. We're all God's children… if He let you in, why should I not?"**

**"Thank you," the young woman said. "I… I've never done this before… lit a candle for anyone… but I've been thinking about my friend a lot recently, and I needed to feel closer to him right now… to them… Alex… and Isabel."**

**The man nodded. "I'll leave you to your meditation."**

**"Thank you," the young woman said again, turning and looking into the candle's flame for several minutes, as she thought about Alex and said a silent prayer for him. Then she took out a second candle and lit it. Holding it up, she stared into its light for several moments and offered a second silent prayer. Then she opened her eyes and looked into the candle's light again, but this time she saw a face… a young girl's face. Liz stared into the flicker of the flame for a moment, captivated by the vision of the little girl, who could not be more than six. Then she realized what it was about the little girl that held her… It was Isabel's face.**

**The candle slipped from Liz's hand and fell onto the floor, catching the hem of her dress on fire before she could stand up. But as quickly as it happened, another little girl, one who appeared to be only four or five years old, waved her hand over the dress, and the flames died. Shocked by what had just happened, Liz looked at the two little girls and realized that they were quite real. She started to say 'thank you' -or tried to- but instead, she gasped as she looked into the face of the second little girl. The eyes were Alex's, though they were softer… so was the mouth… and the nose was Isabel's. The little girl was quite pretty, very pretty even, but there was no mistaking the look, especially in the eyes. **

**Liz swallowed hard and glanced back at the young 'Isabel,' who smiled but did not speak. **

**"Thank you," she finally managed to say, turning back to the younger girl, who had put out the flames.**

**The little girl smiled and pointed toward the door of the chapel, and Liz turned to look. Walking toward her were two people, one a young woman, the other a young man wearing an enormous grin. Liz took a deep breath and held it… for a brief moment, questioning her eyes… then she grinned and her mouth dropped open… **

**"ALEX! OMIGOD, ALEX!" Liz rushed to throw her arms around him and held on as though she feared he might disappear again if she ever let him go.**

**"Alex…" she repeated several more times before pulling back and looking at him again… just to be sure she hadn't lost her mind and grabbed the priest. "Alex, Omigod, where did you… how did you… what…"**

**"All the 'W' questions except 'when ,'" Alex chuckled. **

**"When did you…" Liz added, smiling, then she turned to the young woman at his side… "And Isabel! Omigosh, this is wonderful! This is just… so incredible! I can't believe it!"**

**"It's all a long story," Alex said, hugging Liz again, with a sheepish grin on his face.**

**Liz looked at him and put her right hand on her hip… "Well get comfortable… because you're not going anywhere, Mister Alex Whitman, until I've heard every last detail of it."**

**Alex sat down, and Isabel sat down beside him, then Mali and Gidi jumped into their laps, smiling at Liz.**

**"They're ours," Isabel said, turning and kissing Alex, who was smiling from ear to ear.**

**"Ba'sha ein 'er na-ee?" the older of the two little girls asked.**

**Isabel smiled and nodded.**

**"You named her after me?" Liz asked.**

**"You understood that?" Isabel asked, surprised.**

**Liz put her hand over her face and nodded. "Max and I studied everything we had available… including some books and manuals that were given to him when they tried to get him to return to Antar. We learned a few words and expressions."**

**Isabel nodded. "It looks like more than a few!" She smiled at the older of the two little girls, sitting on her lap… "This is Maria Elizabeth. We call her Mali, for short. And this is Gloria Diane…" she indicated the younger girl, sitting on Alex's lap, "We call her Gidi."**

**"They're so precious," Liz said, reaching out to hug each of the girls then lifting Gidi's face up to look at it. "I always knew you would look good as a girl, Alex!"**

**"Okay, now, see, that's just so not what I came back to hear, Liz," Alex said, grinning in spite of the faked tone of indignation adopted.**

**Liz scrunched up her nose and smiled. "But it's true," she said insistently.**

**"It was always my curse," Alex said, smiling at Isabel… "The girls all thought of me as just another girlfriend."**

**Isabel grinned. "Well, we'll just keep the truth to ourselves, okay Alex? They never need to know."**

**"Oo-kay… moving on to other things," Alex said, closing his eyes tightly and smiling. **

**"We saw the password on your computer, Alex," Liz retorted, "Maria figured it out. But you're special… you're more than that… a lot more… to us."**

**"Well, I guess I'm kind of different things to different people," Alex said, grinning sheepishly.**

**"As it should be," Isabel replied, nodding, and threading her arm through his. **

**Liz gasped… "Omigod! I just thought about something… how did you know where to find me?"**

**Isabel nodded toward the door. "Max told us. He's outside with… ummm… well… with some friends. You'll see."**

**"Ooh, a mystery," Liz laughed… "Okay."**

**"They didn't want to all come in and make a circus out of it in here," Isabel added.**

**"Alex…" Liz said, looking straight into his eyes… "What happened to you? You supposedly died in a car accident, which I still think Tess had something to do with, then you reappear here, alive and with children… and married to Isabel… You ARE married, aren't you?"**

**Isabel held up the back of her hand and wriggled her fingers for Liz to see the rings… "The best wedding coruns could buy."**

**"Antar," Liz said, nodding. "I kind of figured that out. Now fill in the details for me… and DON'T leave anything out."**

**Alex did his best to tell Liz everything that had happened… how Tess had caused his death then had taken him to Antar to be healed, how Isabel had gone along on impulse while chasing Tess, how they had gotten rid of Kivar and had become the king and queen after Max had refused to return to Antar, and how their doubles from the other dimension had shown up and had brought them back to earth for a visit.**

**"So when I walk out there…" Liz said slowly, "I'm going to find two Max's?"**

**Alex nodded.**

**"And another Alex… and another Isabel?"**

**Alex nodded again, adding, "And a Kyle and a Maria and a Michael who are not from this dimension… and Tess… two of them, ours and theirs."**

**Liz's jaw dropped.**

**"Like Isabel said," Alex chuckled, "They didn't want to create a circus in here by all of us coming in."**

**Liz nodded. "Let's go back to our house… We can talk there. Do you have transportation? I got a ride here with a friend."**

**Alex smiled… "Of a sort," he said, pointing upward.**

**"You have a space…!" Liz lowered her voice to a whisper and raised her eyebrows… "You have a space ship… up there above us?"**

**Isabel smiled and nodded. "Freaky, isn't it?"**

**"Just a little," Liz admitted. "That's your transportation?"**

**"Hey, don't knock it," Alex retorted with a grin, "Maria's mom's Jetta wouldn't make it to Antar and back."**

**"Maria's mom's old Jetta wouldn't make it up this mountain," Liz laughed. **

**"Old Bob would never have made it to Antar and back either," Alex added, "So we're stuck with the new Bob… up there."**

**Liz smiled… "Omigosh! You remember Bob? That's so… What do you mean, the 'new Bob?'"**

**"Just kidding. 'IT,' up there, belongs to Max from the alternate dimension, so I call it the new Bob. That's one big, shiny, alien jeep up there!"**

**Liz nodded… "All right… Okay… We go your way. We take New Bob."**

**"Good choice," Alex said, grinning impishly… "Max had it detailed on Venus after the Jovian mud races just so you'd be impressed. He even promised not to pop any space wheelies while you're onboard!"**

**Liz laughed. "You know something, Alex," she said, turning to him and smiling happily, "You're certifiable! …And I've missed you like crazy! Have you seen Maria yet?"**

**Alex shook his head. Then he, Isabel, and the girls walked out with Liz, and moments later, everyone was gone.**

** >>>>>>>>>>>**

**Two hundred feet above the small chapel in the Rockies, Liz and Max stared out the huge bridge window of the New Granolith at the mountains below. **

**"Pretty incredible, huh?"**

**Liz turned and looked at her double from the other dimension, and nodded. "It's kind of hard to take this all in. I mean… Max and I went onboard a spaceship once before… when they wanted him to return to Antar. But that ship was nothing compared to this. It was like a rowboat compared to… the Queen Mary."**

**Liz's double laughed and nodded. "Interesting comparison… but pretty accurate. The New Granolith is all state of the art. Varec designed most of it and helped build some parts of it. There's only one Varec, I think, in every dimension. I've only ever seen one space ship that was bigger and more complex than the 'New Granolith,' and that's Shaqor-Niseel's ship, the 'Xarius Voyager.' Shaqor-Niseel Vredis Davor is the king of Xarius. ****The Xarius Voyager is like this huge city… well, more like a small planet, actually… You can fly all through it in these smaller spaceships. We saw lots of smaller ships flying around inside it, and he once stored a small moon in his cargo bay while searching for kidnappers who had taken refuge on the little moon. The Xarius Voyager has these air lanes mapped out between one sector of the ship and another all over the place, and it's really busy. Shag told us that there are over 500,000 people on his ship, and each one of them has a specific job to do! Several thousand of them make their permanent home on the ship, get married there, have children there, and live their entire lives there.**

**"Wow! That is pretty impressive," Liz admitted. "But this ship is plenty amazing itself. It's huge!"**

**"It is," the other Liz agreed. "And it's a great ship. We love it. It's like a small city or a hamlet compared to Shaqor's planet-sized ship… but we have extensive gardens… and even a small forest with a trail going through it on one level. And we don't need 500,000 people to operate this ship! Max and Michael have flown it to earth by themselves before. Of course, there are a number of automated droids onboard… fancy robots that do a lot of the work… like cleaning, cooking meals, gathering the vegetables from the gardens…"**

**"I'd love to see the gardens and forest," Liz said.**

**Her double nodded. "You will… don't worry! Max would never let anyone get away without showing off his ship!"**

**Both Liz's laughed, and Max smiled.**

**"We have another surprise for you, Liz," Max from the other dimension said… "My, uh… double here already knows about it, since we went to your house first." He turned and motioned toward the entryway to the bridge… Phillip and Diane Evans stood there, a big smile on both of their faces… and beside them were Liz's parents, Jeff and Nancy Parker. **

**"We thought you guys might like to see them… being so far away and all," Max said.**

**Liz gasped, and her face lit up as though the sun had just been let in and had suddenly shone on it. Running to hug her mom and dad, she met them halfway, tears forming in her eyes… "Thank you! Thank you! Omigod, this is the greatest thing I could ever have asked for! Alex and Isabel came back… and they're alive… and you're both here!"**

**"We were surprised when Max showed up and asked us if we'd like to come see you," Jeff said, "But how could we turn down an offer like this?"**

**Liz laughed and sniffed, nodding in agreement.**

**"How have you been," asked Nancy, checking her daughter over, "It's so rare that we hear from you, Lizzy."**

**"I'm sorry, Mom. We still have to be careful… even after all these years. Pierce is still out there. We haven't seen him for years now, but we keep tabs on his career, in a manner of speaking. I write to you as often as possible. We just don't want to give Pierce too many opportunities to pick up on our location."**

**"Are you safe up here, Max?" Jeff asked.**

**Max shrugged. "We think so. We're as safe here as we're ever going to be anywhere. We're pretty high up in the Rockies… they call them the Columbia Mountains around here… and the Kettle Mountain Range… We're very close to the Canadian border. We could slip over the border in an instant if we had to. So far, we haven't had to, though. We have friends here. They don't know everything about me, but they would let me know if anyone were asking questions or looking for us. This area is pretty remote and rugged… and it's really beautiful. I'll show you some of it while you're here."**

**Jeff nodded, and Nancy smiled.**

**"You can see some of it from up here," Liz said, pointing out the bridge window. "That peak way over there to the west is Abercrombie Mountain. It's in Stevens County, the next county over. Beyond that, if you look hard, you can see another of the highest peaks in the area, Copper Butte. It's two counties over, in Ferry County. Here in Pend Oreille County the highest point is Gypsy Peak, and of course there are hundreds of smaller peaks in these Northern Rocky Mountains, too. It's all mountains up here. Idaho is just to the east of us, and Canada is just to the north."**

**"We have elks, caribou, bears –both black and grizzly- moose, deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, eagles, geese, ducks, ospreys, and many other kinds of wildlife," Max said, "And these mountains were once a big gold rush area. Gold and other ores can still be found up here."**

**"Max has a special knack for finding large gold nuggets," Liz added. "We've kept a low profile, but any time there's a big bill coming due or we need something, he just happens to find a nugget or two."**

**"If you get too many, I could use a few," Jeff said, with a wink.**

**Max nodded and smiled.**

**"I heard you were flying, Max… private small jet pilot for some bigwig."**

**Max nodded again. "Over on the coast. I'm on call all the time, but I only fly a few times a month. He likes to keep a low profile, and so do I, so we don't ask each other too many questions."**

**"Is he… like you," Nancy asked.**

**"God, I hope not!" Max exclaimed, "He's kind of a geek…"**

**"Would we know him," Nancy asked.**

**"Could be," Max nodded. "I'm not at liberty to say. But, yeah, just between us, I'm pretty sure you do."**

**Jeff nodded.**

**Max turned to his double from the other dimension… "Do you think we could take this ship south over the plateau. I'd like to show you some things."**

**Max turned to Michael, and Michael nodded and jumped into the pilot's seat. Moments later, they descended over some smaller mountain ranges and then over a large plateau.**

**"That range way off in the distance to our west is the Cascade Mountains," Liz said. "That's where some of the better-known peaks, like Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier, are. Between the Cascades and the Rockies lies the Columbia Plateau, which is what you're seeing below us now. The Yakama Indian Reservation is at the south end of the plateau, and the Colville Indian Reservation is up near us. The Snake River lies to the south, and the Columbia River lies to the north. The Columbia Plateau is part of the largest lava plateau in the world. Those dry canyons with steep walls that you see are called 'coulees." After the last ice age, glaciers blocked the Columbia River's path to the ocean, and the water and ice flowing around the glaciers cut trenches across the plateau as they melted and moved on toward the Pacific. Later, after the glaciers had melted, the coulees dried up, leaving spectacular gullies. You've probably heard of Grand Coulee. Wherever you see extensive patches of dried lava covering the land, those are known as 'scablands.'"**

**"It's… oddly beautiful," Phillip Evans said, gazing at the varied rugged landscapes below the ship as they passed over them.**

**Max nodded. "There's a lot of variety here in Washington state. We have mountains… big ones! We have the Columbia Plateau, with its coulees and scablands… and on the Pacific coast, to our west, there are the islands. Liz and I generally prefer to remain up in the mountains, where we feel at home and safe, but Bill sometimes lets me have the jet… to keep my rating up and earn flying hours… so Liz and I occasionally fly down here to the plateau or over to the coast. And Spokane isn't far to the south of us… It's right below Pend Oreille County."**

**"Then why couldn't you fly down and see us," Diane asked.**

**"We've considered it, believe me," Max said with a sigh, "But if Pierce is still watching for us down there, he's bound to notice a corporate jet flying into Roswell with his number one alien at the controls."**

**Diane cringed. "I hate Pierce! Can I say that?"**

**Max smiled. "Why not? I think we all understand."**

**"Well, what I don't understand, Max," Alex said, "Is why you chose to stay here, where Pierce is looking for you, when you could have returned to Antar and been the king… with nobody hunting you… I mean, once Kivar was gone."**

**Max sighed and nodded. "I understand why you feel that way, Alex, but Michael and I both talked about it… with Liz and Maria, too… and all of us decided that we belong here now. This is our home. Pierce can't take that away from us. We can't allow him to. And besides, the Northern Rockies are beautiful and adventurous. Liz and I are happy there… so are Michael and Maria."**

**"Michael and Maria are there, too?"**

**Max nodded. "We'll see them… before you leave. I'm assuming you intend to go back to Antar again and haven't abdicated the throne."**

**"As odd as it might sound, Max… Antar's my home now," Alex said with a grin. "Isabel and I are happy there… Our children were born there."**

**Max nodded then smiled. "Sounds like it worked out for the best all around then."**

**Alex nodded.**

**"I'm so glad that you and Liz are happy here," Isabel said, "I've worried about you, Max."**

**"You've worried about us!" Max exclaimed, suddenly turning on Isabel… "Alex was killed in a car crash… we thought… and you disappeared off the face of the earth… No one had any idea what happened to you! We've all had this big hole, Isabel…" Max swallowed, and his eyes grew uncharacteristically misty… "In our hearts," he said, finishing his sentence, after he had steeled himself to make sure that his voice wouldn't break. He tapped his fist against his chest and blinked away the tears that threatened to betray him.**

**Isabel put her hand on Max's cheek and smiled, looking into his eyes, then she put her arms around him and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Max. I'm sorry for everyone I left behind without saying anything. But you better than anyone should know that our lives sometimes force instant decisions on us. I love Alex, Max… If I hadn't gone… right then… I would have lost him forever. What would you have done, Max?"**

**Max nodded and closed his eyes. "I would have done what you did, Iz."**

**Isabel smiled. "I know. You saved Liz's life even though Michael and I thought you had betrayed us and had put us all in mortal danger. I understand why you did it now."**

**"I've got an idea," Liz said… "If everyone has seen enough of the coulees and scablands, lets go see Maria and Michael."**

**Everyone seemed to like that idea, and Michael from the other dimension reassumed the pilot's seat of the New Granolith… "Same coordinates, Max?"**

**Max nodded. "That'll work. Their house is only about five miles from our house. I can guide you to it once we get there."**

**As the sun set in the distance over the Pacific Ocean, an invisible alien ship climbed back into the skies high above the centrally located Columbia Plateau and drifted off toward the high Rocky Mountains in the northeast corner of the state. **

**At the same time, in a small chapel high in the Northern Rockies, an elderly priest noticed two candles that had been left on the altar. Bending over, he picked them up and looked at them… they had long ago burned down to the holders they had been placed in. He smiled and looked upward… toward Heaven…**

**"I pray the young lady has found the peace she was looking for."**

**tbc**


	25. Chapter 24

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Mountain Candy**

**Chapter 24**

**XXIV**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Michael wiped his brow and set the axe down beside him for a moment. He could easily have felled the large tree with a blast from his hand, but that would probably have looked suspicious if anyone had happened to see it. Besides, Michael actually enjoyed the exertion. He had gained some impressive muscles since coming to the Northern Rockies. The mountain life seemed to agree with Maria, too, at least physically. Michael was pretty sure that she had never looked so radiant as she did right now, not even when she was a teenager. **

**Michael took a deep breath and picked up the axe again then drew it back over his shoulder to swing it, but as he did, something made him hesitate and look up… He wasn't sure what it was… It was mostly a feeling. The first thing he noticed were the treetops… they seemed to be bending over, as though there were a stiff breeze, a breeze that was only in the very tops of the trees. Michael felt nothing at ground level. The other thing he noticed was the silence. The birds had stopped chirping and calling to each other, the katydids had stopped singing, even the wind seemed to have stilled… except in the tops of the trees. It was bizarre. Most people wouldn't have noticed, but a mountain person would. And Michael was now as attuned to nature as any mountain man. Still, aside from the breeze in the tops of the trees and the eerie silence, he saw nothing, felt nothing, and had no reason to believe that anything was different than at any other time… but it was, and Michael knew it.**

**So did Maria. Stepping out the back door of the house, she walked down to where Michael stood and stood beside him, looking up at the treetops… and listening.**

**"Something's wrong."**

**Michael nodded.**

**"It's too quiet."**

**Michael nodded again and looked around cautiously. He had already leaned the axe against the tree, and his hands, though still down by his sides, were flexed and ready. Maria knew. She could see the muscles in his arms, chest, and stomach flex as he stood there, shirtless, sweat glistening on his skin.**

**"You guys looking for something?" **

**Michael spun around, and his hand went up in the blink of an eye. The unseen voice had a vaguely familiar sound, but Michael spent no time analyzing it. It more than spooked him. As attuned as Michael was to his environment, he had been totally unaware of anyone sneaking up behind him. Now, he stood face to face with someone who had, apparently, done exactly that… **

**At first, Michael stood there, his mouth open, his hand still at ready, prepared to blast someone or something; but instead, he found himself unable to utter a single word. And he was not, apparently, the only one. Without a sound, except for an almost inaudible gasp, Maria rushed forward and threw her arms around the surprise "guest," and then she began to shake.**

**"Hey! Hey! hey! No crying, Maria! If I'm making you sad, I'll go away."**

**"Alex," Maria managed to whisper… then her voice began to come back… "You go away right now and I'll hunt you down and hurt you… I swear it… if you're not dead already!"**

**Alex smiled and raised his eyebrows… "Wow… I guess I'll stay awhile then."**

**Noticing that Michael was still standing there and hadn't said a word, Alex waved his hand in front of Michael's face.**

**"I wouldn't do that, Alex… not until I calm down and let the energy drain back out of my hand. I might have an accident." Michael reached out to Alex with his left hand, and Alex took it.**

**"I guess you're real, huh," Michael said. "I wasn't too sure you weren't a ghost… You sneaked up so quietly."**

**Alex nodded. "I had a little help in that department." He pointed up, and Michael and Maria both realized at the same time what was happening.**

**"Alex?" Maria said, looking at him questioningly.**

**Alex pressed a small button inside the edge of his shirt, and suddenly three more people stood there with him.**

**"Isabel!" Maria gasped, her eyes growing wide. Then she looked at the two little girls with Isabel, and she knew…**

**"Omigod! I don't believe it! Alex… you and Isabel…? Where have you guys been?"**

**"A long way from here," Isabel said, as Maria hugged her… still holding onto Alex with the other hand, as though she feared he might disappear if she released him.**

**"We've been up there… on Antar," Isabel said.**

**"Come on in the house… Come on. You've both got a lot of explaining to do!" Maria turned and looked at the two little girls again and smiled at them, then hugged them. "Do you girls like candy?"**

**The girls looked at their mother, and Isabel nodded.**

**"I've got some candy for you then," Maria said… "In the house… It's mountain candy. I made it myself."**

**"Can we invite anyone else to the party?" Alex asked, still trying gently to pry Maria's hand off of his wrist… without much success.**

**Maria looked up and suddenly realized that there might be others… probably Antarians… on the unseen ship above them, "Oh, Alex, I'm sorry! Of course they can come." She looked at Michael, and he shrugged and nodded. Alex pressed the button again, and almost instantly, Liz and Max appeared.**

**Michael smiled and nodded… "I should have known."**

**Max laughed, and Maria ran to hug Liz, dragging Alex with her by the wrist…**

**"We never in a million years expected it," Liz said, hugging Maria back, "It was a big surprise for us, too. They just showed up out of nowhere!"**

**"Well, come in and tell me about it," Maria said emphatically.**

**Everyone went into the house, and Isabel looked around approvingly. "It's rustic… It's not the palace… but I like it! It's homey and comfortable… upstairs… downstairs… roomy… nice balcony… big porch… Not bad."**

**"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you," Maria said with a grin. "Michael and I love it! Michael built it himself… from the ground up."**

**Isabel smiled… "Well, that would explain why he's all sweaty."**

**Michael rolled his eyes and groaned. "Geez, Isabel, I don't work that fast. I was just chopping some trees down to make room for a game and entertainment center. It's gonna be like a separate little house in the back."**

**Isabel reached out and felt Michael's bicep… "Hmmm! I guess you have been working! You going out for Mister Universe?"**

**Michael rolled his eyes again but smiled a sort of half smile. "That's not me. I like the natural look."**

**"Is that what this is?" Isabel asked, feeling Michael's arm again. **

**Michael shrugged… "Nature did it… so yeah… I guess it's natural."**

**Maria grinned and put one arm around Michael.**

**"You know," Michael said, putting his arms around Maria, "If you would release Alex, you could put both arms around me."**

**Maria looked at Alex then at Michael and seemed to consider it for a moment, then she released Alex, but not before giving him a stern warning…**

**"You stay right there… Don't move… while I hug Michael!"**

**Alex raised his hands in mock surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it." He glanced over at Isabel and she smiled and shrugged.**

**"Well, I guess it's time we showed them everything," Max said. Alex nodded.**

**Maria turned and looked at Alex… "What does he mean?" **

**"I think I'd better show you," Alex said. He pressed the button inside his shirt again, and they all disappeared and reappeared onboard the New Granolith. Maria looked out the huge bridge window at the forest below. Then she looked around the room and noticed that there were others in the room with them… and some of them seemed to be there more than once…**

**"Okay… now this is going to take some explaining, Alex!" **

**Liz laughed then walked over and stood beside her double from the New Granolith. They looked so much alike… but the double's hair was slightly longer… and her clothes were different. Still, they were both Liz. And there were two Maxes, too… and two Alex's… and two Isabels… and another Michael and another Maria.**

**"This is just freaky," Maria said. **

**Michael nodded. **

**"Are there two of everybody," Maria asked.**

**Liz shook her head. "Not on the ship with us… There's only one Varec here… and Tess… and Rayylar… and Jim… and Kyle… and…" She pointed behind Maria, and Maria turned around to see Chuck and Gloria Whitman and Phillip and Diane Evans.**

**"Omigosh! Is Mom here, too?"**

**Liz shook her head. "She wasn't home and nobody could find her… Jim went all over town looking for her…"**

**"Oh." Maria nodded and smiled, though she was obviously disappointed. "Well, Mom was probably visiting with a friend or something. It's just that I haven't seen her in…"**

**"I know," Liz said, giving Maria a hug. "I know. I'm sorry."**

**"It's okay," Maria said, waving her hand dismissively, "I'll give her a call from a pay phone sometime." **

**Maria walked over to her own double, the one from the New Granolith, and looked at her, then she raised her hand slowly. Sensing her intent, the other Maria did the same, imitating her move exactly. Maria turned her head both ways, and her double did the same, like a mirror image. Maria bent suddenly to the right, and so did her double. Then both began to giggle.**

**iThey look alike, they act alike, sometimes they even talk alike…/i Maria hummed under her breath, and her double nodded.**

**"What was that tune?" Liz asked.**

**"Michael likes to watch these old black and white TV shows. That was from one about two girls that were supposed to be identical cousins."**

**"Oh."**

**"It's classic television," Michael said. His double nodded… "You see? Somebody agrees with me!"**

**"Well, you do look identical, Maria… and Michael, too," Alex agreed… "Almost."**

**Maria's duplicate, from the New Granolith, walked over to Michael and looked at him. He was still shirtless, and his muscles glistened in the light. She touched his bicep and his chest, then glanced at his abs and grinned… "Impressive."**

**"I'll remove MY shirt if that turns you on," Michael from the New Granolith said, putting an arm around his Maria and gently turning her back toward him. Maria grinned from ear to ear, and Michael blushed… **

**"Okay, Alex," the local Maria said, turning to Alex with a stern look, "It's time to start explaining. You and Isabel have a lot of explaining to do, and I want to hear it."**

**"I'd like to hear it myself," Michael agreed.**

**Alex nodded. "Well, let's see… where to start…"**

**"How about at the beginning?" **

**Alex nodded and motioned towards a sofa and some seats nearby. Michael sat down, just as his double, from the New Granolith, returned and handed him one of his shirts to put on. **

**Michael grinned and put it on.**

**Alex started at the beginning and went through pretty much the whole story, as he remembered it, occasionally assisted by Isabel.**

**"So you're King Alex the First?" Maria asked, grinning.**

**"Well…" Alex smiled and kind of laughed. "They just call me Alex. Everybody there is kind of on a first name basis."**

**"Oh, yeah, that's right," Maria nodded… "Like Zan or Rath… or Vilandra."**

**"Yeah… Right."**

**"Or 'your majesty,'" Isabel added. "A lot of people say 'your majesty,' but Alex doesn't like it."**

**"Hate it," Alex said, scrunching up his nose.**

**"I promised these girls some mountain candy," Maria suddenly exclaimed, jumping up and looking at Mali and Gidi. "I never go back on a promise, especially to someone so special. You will stay long enough for that, won't you… before you go back?"**

**Alex smiled and nodded. Then he looked at Max from the New Granolith, and Max nodded.**

**"I have to catch the bus when it leaves, so I had to check with the driver… He says it's okay," Alex added with a wink.**

**The others all laughed.**

**"Let's all go down to the house," Maria said. She looked at Varec and the others… "You, too. There's enough candy for everybody."**

**"I'll get the girls ready," Isabel said, taking the girls by the hand and leading them out of the control room. Leaving the bridge, Isabel took Mali and Gidi back to their room to freshen up.**

**"Why don't you put on your new Kyyks outfit, Mali? It's in your closet," Isabel said, in Antarian, since the girls did not speak English.**

**Mali nodded and ran to the closet, but a minute later she was back.**

**"I thought you were going to change into your new outfit?"**

**"I can't."**

**"Why not?"**

**"There's someone in my closet."**

**Isabel looked at the closet, and her face paled momentarily…**

**"Okay, Mali… Gidi… don't be scared."**

**"I'm not scared," Mali said.**

**Isabel nodded. "Go stand by the door, both of you, and if something goes wrong, run and get Uncle Max and Uncle Michael… and your Dad."**

**The girls nodded and stood next to the door, then Isabel turned out the lights and walked slowly toward the closet. She put one hand on the closet door handle and held the other hand in front of herself, creating a glow with it that lit up her face and gave her enough light to see in front of her. Then she opened the door. **

**As the door swung open, Isabel gasped and stepped backward, and Mali and Gidi both ran from the room.**

**"Amy!" Isabel exclaimed, incredulous.**

**But the surprise that Isabel felt was nothing compared to the shock that Amy felt as Isabel's face, dimly lit by the glow of her hand, appeared in the darkness, in the closet with her.**

**In seconds, Max, Michael, and Alex rushed into the room, only to find Isabel holding an unconscious Amy's hand and trying to bring her back around. **

**"Is she okay, Max? I didn't kill her, did I?"**

**Max felt for a pulse and shook his head. "What did you do to her?"**

**"Nothing," Isabel said, still shaking, "I think I scared her to death."**

**"How did she get here?" Michael asked, checking Amy's eyes and checking her pulse again.**

**Isabel shook her head. "I don't know. Mali found her hiding in the closet."**

**"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Amy moaned, holding her head. Then she looked at Isabel and Alex and started to faint again, but Michael patted her face… "Stay with us, Mom. They're not ghosts. Really. They came back."**

**Amy groaned again then looked at Isabel. "I saw a disembodied head floating in the closet with me… Isabel's head."**

**"Well, that would be pretty scary, I guess," Michael said with a wry grin. Isabel gave him a whack on the arm.**

**"What are you doing here!" Michael from the New Granolith asked emphatically, "And more importantly, how did you get here… on this ship… without anyone knowing?"**

**Amy smiled slightly. "Michael, you of all people, know I've got my ways."**

**"Yeah, I do," Michael agreed, "But it's a matter of security, and I'm in charge of security here. I need to know."**

**Amy grinned. "Don't worry about it."**

**Michael looked flustered and frustrated; he knew he was fighting a losing battle. Still, he was determined to get an answer… eventually.**

**"Okay, WHY did you stow away on the ship then?"**

**"Well, that I can answer," Amy said. "I wanted to see my daughter."**

**"Well, geez…" the local Michael exclaimed, "Why didn't you just ask? We looked for you and nobody could find you."**

**"You did?"**

**"Well, Jim did."**

**"Oh."**

**"You weren't home."**

**Amy sighed. "I wasn't home, because I was here… on the ship. I overheard Jim talking to someone in his office about this alien ship going to see Maria and Michael and Max and Liz… and I wanted to go, too. I didn't know there was anyone on the ship but… you know… people from Max's planet… Antar. Anyway, I figured when they got to wherever Maria and you were I'd sneak off again and see Maria. You know, all I ever get is a call about once a month… and it's always from an untraceable line… and she won't tell me where she is… except somewhere in the west or northwest."**

**The truth is, Amy did know that Maria and Michael were in Washington state, she just didn't know where in Washington state. But she had no intention of telling Michael or Maria that she knew this much. **

**"You could have wound up on an alien planet!" Michael said… "And you wouldn't even know the language!"**

**Amy shrugged. "I'd survive."**

**Michael nodded. "It's the Antarians I was worried about. They aren't prepared for you."**

**Amy pursed her lips and glared at Michael but then adopted a pouting look.**

**"I just wanted to see Maria… and she won't ever tell me where she is."**

**Michael smiled and nodded understandingly, "Sorry, Mom… she can't. We're still hiding from Pierce."**

**"Give me his address," Amy said, "I'll get rid of him for you."**

**Michael smiled. "Tempting… very tempting. But if you got hurt, Maria would never forgive me."**

**Amy nodded and grinned. "I know."**

**At that moment, Maria and Liz rushed into the room with their doubles, who had taken them on a quick tour of some of the ship while Isabel took the girls to freshen up; and they had just found out what was going on. Maria rushed to her mom and threw her arms around her, then she pulled back and looked at her with a mixture of joy, irritation, and awe in her eyes…**

**"Mom… how the hell did you get here?"**

**Amy smiled. "Michael couldn't get me to talk with torture. You're not going to make me talk either."**

**Maria looked at Michael, and Michael held up both hands… "I didn't torture her!"**

**Maria smiled, knowing her mother and Michael both well.**

**"God, Mom, they looked for you everywhere…"**

**"Well, I didn't know."**

**Maria sighed, then hugged Amy again. "It's wonderful to see you, Mom."**

**Amy wiped a tear from her eye and nodded, kissing Maria and hugging her. "Yes, it is!"**

**Maria looked around the room. By now, everyone was there…**

**"Let's go down to the house, okay? I've got mountain candy and coffee waiting for everybody." **

**Alex grinned, and Max transported them back down using his transporter remote; each of the crew, as well as Alex and Isabel, had one on them.**

**Back in her living room, Maria told everyone to make themselves at home. Then she went into the kitchen and returned with a huge tin full of candy, giving a piece to each of the girls and setting it on the coffee table for anyone else who wanted some. Michael brought out the coffee for her.**

**Seeing how much the girls seemed to love the candy, Rayylar tried it, and his eyes lit up. Then Varec and the others all tried it, too.**

**"I have some in a different tin for you," Maria said to her double and Liz, and to the Whitmans and the Evanses. "It's not made with 50 Tabasco."**

**Diane's eyes opened wide, and she moved her hand immediately to the new tin.**

**"I'm glad you told me," Liz from the New Granolith said, "Although I'm kind of getting used to Tabasco."**

**"What is this made out of? It's delicious!" Diane said. Phillip nodded, stuffing another one into his mouth.**

**Maria grinned… "Honey, real tree molasses, lots of blueberries, sassafras, a little cocoa, and my secret ingredient… Rice Krispies." **

**Diane laughed.**

**"And for them," Maria said, indicating Michael and the others, "I add a whopping portion of Tabasco and a few teaspoons of Cherry Cola syrup. It's just a matter of getting the proportions right."**

**"What are the right proportions," Gloria asked.**

**"Fifty percent Tabasco, fifty percent anything else you have," Maria said, getting another laugh from everyone present. **

**"Actually, it's about 30 Tabasco, 10 Cherry Cola syrup, 30 blueberries, and the rest is an equal mixture of honey, molasses, crushed sassafras, cocoa, and Rice Krispies. For ours, you just eliminate the Tabasco, cut the Cherry Cola syrup down to about a fourth of what's in theirs, then add more blueberries and Rice Krispies… and a little more crushed sassafras and cocoa… to make up for the Tabasco and syrup… It's kind of 'al dente,' you know… You know it's got enough of everything when it tastes right."**

**"It's delicious," Phillip said, taking another one. **

**Maria grinned. Fortunately, she had plenty, though after this group, she knew that she would have to make some more.**

**For the rest of the afternoon, everyone talked and relaxed in the house and on the porch, took short walks in the woods, and got to know each other. But their time with Michael and Maria… and with Max and Liz… was far less than what any of them would have liked. Chuck and Gloria Whitman would be accompanying their son, Alex, and his family back to Antar, so they would be near him and Isabel… and their granddaughters… after this, but Phillip and Diane Evans would have only this short time together with Max and Isabel. Still, after believing that Isabel was dead for so long, this time together with both of them was a real blessing that they would be forever thankful for. Amy, too, would have to go back, but she was happier now, having seen Maria and knowing where she was and that she really was okay… and that Michael hadn't kidnapped her or brainwashed her.**

**And that was something that concerned Michael…**

**"You do know that you can't tell anyone where we are, right?" Michael said.**

**Amy looked at Michael and rolled her eyes. "Michael, if your double from that ship up there couldn't get me to tell him how I got on his ship, do you think anybody's going to get me to tell where my daughter is… especially if her life could depend on it?"**

**Michael smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Probably not."**

**"Damned right! Your secret is safe."**

**Michael nodded. "Thanks… Mom."**

**Amy looked at Michael slightly askew then smiled and hugged him… "You take good care of my daughter."**

**"I wouldn't dare not," Michael said with a grin.**

**"Good boy," Amy replied, patting him on the cheek.**

**tbc…**


	26. Chapter 25

**Sliding Into Antar**

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

**Completing The Circle**

**Chapter 25**

**XXV**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Alex held up a long-stemmed goblet and offered a toast to his benefactors from the New Granolith. It was not the first and it probably would not be the last toast that Alex or Isabel would offer before the night was over. The crew of the New Granolith grinned and laughed, lifting their goblets in turn to their hosts. It was all light hearted and relaxed, almost like being home again back in their own dimension… **

**-Almost-**

**For Alex and Isabel… and for their two little girls… it was home. For Alex's parents, Chuck and Gloria Whitman, it would become home. For the crew of the New Granolith… it was the best thing that wasn't home. Everyone felt relaxed and happy. But none of them had forgotten that their own Antar… and their own families… were somewhere out there, lost, and they didn't know how to find them. Each of them had dwelled on that thought many times since becoming unwitting members of the interdimensional frequent flyers club. But being able to take Alex and Isabel and their daughters back to their own earth for a visit had made it more bearable. It had given them all a warm feeling inside… as well as providing some memorable and fun moments… **

**"I thought Maria's double wasn't going to let you come back to Antar, Alex… She didn't want to turn you loose," said Michael from the New Granolith, with a grin and a snicker.**

**Alex smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I'll have to thank Amy sometime for prying me loose."**

**This brought a round of good-hearted laughter from everyone at the table.**

**"I didn't realize how much I really had missed everyone," Alex sighed. "I'm really happy that we got this chance to see them again. I owe you guys a huge favor for that."**

**"If you can send us home, we'll consider it paid in full," Michael said.**

**Alex smiled. "I wish I could do that… I really do. I know how much you miss your own planet and your own families… I wish you all the luck in the galaxy finding your way back. But if you don't… you know… you'll always be welcome here. Just turn around and come back."**

**Liz shook her head. "You're sweet, Alex, but nothing can substitute for my family. We have to keep going… no matter where it leads… because we have to make it home. We HAVE to."**

**Alex nodded. "You will keep our address handy, though, won't you?"**

**Liz smiled and kissed Alex on the cheek… "We know where to find you. Varec has all the Antars and earths we've been to mapped out on special charts he's keeping. It's where we WANT to go… home… that we can't find."**

**"Do you think Amy will try to go back to see Maria again," Tess asked. "I mean… now that she knows where they are, I'm not sure that anything can keep her from going back if she gets the notion. She could lead Pierce to them."**

**Michael nodded pensively. "You're probably right… She'll go back… sooner or later." Then he smiled. "On the other hand, though, if Pierce follows her there, Amy'll probably solve the problem permanently. I wouldn't want to take her on… even if I were a psycho, alien-hunting, renegade agent. She'll probably give him the slip, though. She never did tell me how she got on our ship. She just said don't worry about it 'cause nobody else could do it the same way."**

**"You think she's right?"**

**Michael shrugged. "Probably. I hope so. Short of pulling her fingernails out, I don't think there's anything that would make her ever tell how she did it. I don't even think that would do it."**

**"Even if they hurt Maria?"**

**Michael paused and thought about this then shook his head. "They can't hurt Maria if they can't find her… and Amy would die before she'd give up that information. I'm not totally comfortable with them all knowing where Maria is… or my double… or Liz and Max either for that matter, but I have to admit that they're probably pretty safe. The Evanses will keep what they know hush hush… they'll never let on that they know anything. Amy will give anyone who tries to follow her the slip. And the Whitman's… well, Pierce would have to come to Antar to find them now. Have you seen the price of gas on earth lately? I don't think even Pierce has that much in his budget." Michael smiled, and the others all laughed and nodded.**

**"I did feel sorry for your mom and dad, though, Isabel, when you had to leave them to come back," Liz said. "I kind of understand how they felt… after you had been missing for so long, you know… then to lose you again so soon."**

**Isabel smiled. "They didn't lose me this time. They know where I am now. And they know that once our ship is finished, I'll be back to see them again. We all will. They understand. Your double's mom and dad were pretty misty-eyed, too, when they had to leave their daughter in Washington and go back home to Roswell."**

**Liz nodded and sighed. "They were, weren't they? I had a big lump in my throat when we all left earth. It felt like I was leaving my own parents… but I know my parents are back on our Antar in our dimension." The moment Liz said this, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply… "They traveled all the way across seven galaxies to be near me, and now… if we don't find our way back home… they may not ever see me again… and I may never see them… ever again."**

**Liz's eyes welled up with tears, and Isabel winced and leaned over to put an arm around her, hugging her sympathetically. Seeming to understand, though they didn't know all of the words that had been spoken, some of which were in English rather than Antarian, Mali and Gidi got up and walked over to Liz and put their arms around her, too. Then Gidi climbed into her lap.**

**Liz ran the tips of her fingers across her eyes and sniffed, hugging the girls and Isabel back… "If I didn't have everyone that I left behind still back there on our Antar, I could be very happy here on yours, Iz. You and Alex have made it really… well, home."**

**"They haven't done bad for the economy, either," Michael said. "This planet's as prosperous as ours. And they've done some things that we could copy on our Antar."**

**Alex smiled. "I'm no wizard. I just do what seems right."**

**Maria grinned and raised her eyebrows, and Liz nodded. "That's why it IS so right, Alex. You're not a politician or a demagogue… you're just… YOU… good ole… honest… lovable… sweet… unpretentious… Alex."**

**"What! Not a wizard? …Well, if that's all you think of me," Alex retorted, pretending to be offended; then he smiled slowly, and as the smile edged over his face, his eyes seemed to light up with a sort of mischievous good humor… and an indefinable warmth that made Isabel grin….**

**"Those are exactly the reasons why I love you, dear… some of them anyway," Isabel said, planting a long kiss on Alex's lips. This unexpected move on Isabel's part brought out cheers of encouragement and lots of smiles around the table… and left Alex curiously speechless. He grinned and took a swallow of water then shook his head… "Wow!"**

**Liz and Maria broke down and started laughing, and Tess followed, then everyone began to laugh, including the other Alex and Isabel, from the New Granolith. Gloria Whitman, Alex's mom, shook her head and smiled, but Chuck appeared to be beaming.**

**Not ones to be left out of any hugging or kissing that involved their daddy, Mali and Gidi climbed into his lap and planted their own kisses on him.**

**"If I were candy, I'd be in real trouble," Alex said sheepishly, hugging his girls back and returning their kisses.**

**Isabel scrunched up her nose good-naturedly, with a twinkle in her eyes that Alex recognized. **

**"Don't say it! I'll never live it down!" Alex pleaded.**

**"Say it! Say it!" Michael and Max both coaxed at the same time. Maria, Liz, and Tess all nodded in expectant agreement.**

**Isabel didn't say anything, but she smiled at Alex and patted him on the cheek with a wink.**

**"I'll never live it down," Alex moaned, closing his eyes tightly, with a huge grin on his face. "Now they'll imagine all kinds of things."**

**"And all true," Isabel said, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous gaiety that seemed to match Alex's own at that moment.**

**Michael raised his eyebrows and whistled softly.**

**"Oh, you're just jealous," Alex said, eliciting more laughter… and a few nods… from those at the table.**

**For whatever reason, perhaps feeling the need to show that Michael had nothing to worry about, Maria reached over suddenly with both hands and pulled Michael to her, pressing her slightly parted lips firmly to his unexpecting… but obviously appreciative lips. When she was finished, Michael took a long deep breath and then grinned a sort of intoxicated grin. And again, there was laughter from everyone present. Maria's actions seemed to have started something, and soon, Liz had planted a kiss on Max's lips, Tess had kissed Rayylar, and the other Isabel had kissed… and, well, actually… was still kissing… her Alex.**

**Max raised his goblet to their host, with a smile… "To whatever is in these drinks, Alex!"**

**Alex laughed and shook his head. "Well, you see, Max, that's the beauty of it… I don't have to put any of Madame Vivian's love potions in Isabel's drinks."**

**"He doesn't," Isabel agreed with a smile.**

**"It must be something in the air here then," Max said with a wink, looking at Liz, who was looking at him and smiling from ear to ear.**

**They all knew what it really was. They were relaxed and enjoying themselves, fully at ease in Alex and Isabel's… and in each other's… company. It was something that Alex just seemed to bring out in people naturally. In fact, when he was talking business… on matters of the kingdom… he often had to be careful to stifle his natural easy-going appeal a bit. It wasn't easy, but he had learned to do it. He knew that there were many out there who would take advantage of it. Apparently, though, Alex had not allowed that to happen, because by all appearances, he had reaped all the advantages himself… for the kingdom he and Isabel ruled.**

**The truth is, Alex still thought of himself as "elected," and in a very real sense, he was. He never asked to be the king. He was made the king… by the people's choice. And Isabel was made their queen by their choice… and by virtue of the fact that she and Alex were a package deal. And then, Isabel was, after all, a member of the real royal family, so she, and therefore Alex, as her husband, actually were within the original royal line… sort of. **

**One might assume that, had Max returned to this Antar with Liz, as he did in the other dimension, the people would have loved them, too; but a quirk of fate had made things turn out differently here. One thing, though, was evident. NO ONE was complaining. Even Max and Liz, back on earth, in the high Rockies, seemed happy with the arrangement. If the crew of the New Granolith had learned anything on this trip, it was that nothing can be taken for granted. There are an infinite number of possibilities in the universe, and it was equally possible that Michael and Maria might be the king and queen on one of the Antars… or even on more than one… or anyone else might be for that matter. This last thought frightened them a little bit. If there were an infinite number of possibilities, then bad rulers… just as bad as Kivar… might rule some of the Antars. It was a sobering thought. **

**Then again… maybe this planet was just an anomaly… a one of a kind. On every other Antar that they had been to, after all, Max and Liz had been… or had become… the king and queen. Random situations had been different on each planet, but the basic pattern had remained the same. The crew of the New Granolith had pretty much stopped dwelling on the possibilities, though. Ultimately… sooner or later… the possibilities would find THEM… unless they were spared, and the next Antar, or some Antar soon, turned out to be their own.**

**End of Chapter 25**

**tbc…**


	27. Chapter 26

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Onward Into The Unknown**

**Chapter 26**

**XXVI**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Liz hugged Alex… then Isabel… one last time, then she bent down and kissed Mali and Gidi.**

**"I'm going to miss you guys. I'll probably be wishing we were back here before the day is over. It's lonely out there in space when you're missing something… or someone."**

**Alex smiled but shook his head. "You'll be on your way home. Once you're out there in space, you won't even remember us."**

**Liz gave Alex a scolding look, and without warning, she and Maria both gave him a playful slap from opposite sides at the same time. Alex smiled, rubbing his cheeks, "See what I mean? Already I'm being abused."**

**Maria scrunched up her nose playfully. "You deserved it… for saying that we would forget you."**

**"Well, I know two little people who aren't going to be forgetting someone real soon" Isabel said, motioning with her head toward Mali and Gidi, who where both on the floor hugging Jung-Jo, as he purred and licked them on the cheeks.**

**Liz laughed and nodded. "Jung-Jo has a way with kids. They all love him. Grown-ups do, too… most of them… once they get to know him. But kids… kids always love him. They just seem to be drawn to each other."**

**"He knows where all the petting and loving come from," Alex said with a grin, "I understand."**

**"Somehow, I don't think you're lacking for those things, Alex," Liz said, glancing at Isabel, who stood beside him smiling.**

**Alex shook his head and put his arm around Isabel. "No… you're right… I admit it."**

**"We're ready," Max said, sitting down in the pilot's seat. Michael was already seated in the co-pilot's seat.**

**Alex smiled then hugged Liz and Maria one last time. Liz hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek, then she kissed Isabel on the cheek, too, before turning back toward Max; but she stopped for a moment, as she saw Tess from this dimension standing not far away, behind Isabel. For a few seconds, no one was sure what Liz was going to say. Her face betrayed no emotion. Then… slowly… she smiled…**

**"Good luck, Tess… Take care of Alex and Isabel for us. I… uh… After Alex told us what happened back on earth between you and him, I was… well… but I understand why he's forgiven you now… and why he says he trusts you. I've always thought Alex was pretty smart, so…" Liz hesitated, trying to think of something else to say but then left it at that. Maria finished it for her…**

**"What Liz means is, we appreciate what you did bringing Alex here and making him well again and all… and if Alex trusts you, then we guess we do, too… but if anyone were to ever hurt Alex… I mean, again… not that I think anyone would or anything… I'd have to say, you know… we'd, uh… we'll be back."**

**Tess smiled but managed to maintain a sober look. She realized that Maria was being totally serious and had only said what she had said out of genuine concern and affection for Alex; and she didn't want to seem flippant… but for some reason, Maria's words struck her as funny. She looked at the floor for a moment then back at Maria, and nodded… "I hear you, Ah- …Maria. Don't worry. I've never been as scared in my life as I was after… after… what I did to… you know… before…" She took a deep breath, suddenly becoming unexpectedly flustered as she recalled the past… **

**"Call it 'scared straight' or whatever you want. I'm not the same person I was when I was younger. I've washed everything Nasedo put into my head out of me… and I don't regret it at all. I like thinking for myself. I like being someone who can be trusted… someone people actually care about. It's like… coming out of a dark sewer and living in the sunlight. I don't want to ever go back."**

**Maria gave Tess her best "desperado" look then slowly nodded.**

**"Come on, Maria," Liz said, "It'll be fine. Alex is a big boy. He can take care of himself."**

**Maria looked at Tess again, then, slowly, she smiled. "I was just being sure."**

**Tess returned the smile. "I know."**

**"WELL…" Alex said, smiling sheepishly, "I don't think any king of Antar has ever been better protected."**

**Max laughed. "You may be right. If Liz and Maria had been around in our last life, Kivar would have been in serious trouble."**

**Liz and Maria both nodded. Then Alex nodded, too… "Tess took care of Kivar for me."**

**"NEVER underestimate us," Isabel said.**

**Alex smiled and then chuckled. "Not me! No way!"**

**Liz laughed, then everyone began to laugh.**

**"Beam me down, Scotty," Alex said, turning to Michael, "I know you guys are anxious to get on the road… or whatever lies out there for you."**

**Michael pressed a button, and Alex, Isabel, Tess, Mali, and Gidi disappeared. A second later, they reappeared safely inside the palace, two hundred feet below. All five rushed to a balcony, only to find Alex's mom and dad already there. The five Antarians… and two new Antarians… looked up in time to see the New Granolith rise through the atmosphere, high in the clear Antarian sky, picking up speed then disappearing, as it headed off, once again, into the unknown.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**It had been two days, as the hours were counted, since Alex and Isabel's Antar had faded to a tiny point of light behind the New Granolith… then had disappeared like so many other stars and planets in the night. **

**In space, there was no real difference between night and day… Counting the hours was the only way to measure time. The crew of the New Granolith adhered to a schedule just as though they were back on Antar. During the hours that coincided with nighttime on Antar, they slept. During the "daylight" hours on Antar, they worked, ate… and sometimes played. **

**At the moment, Liz was watching Varec carefully scrawl cryptic scientific notations on his huge map of the interdimensional cosmos… and she looked up to find that Michael was standing beside her with Max. Both of them looked at the map, and Max seemed to study it for a moment… "So… do you think we'll find our own Antar this time, Varec?"**

**Varec sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "There is no way to know, Zan. I can find Antar… but I can never be certain that it will be ours… not until I have the precise interdimensional coordinates to compare to the coordinates of the other Antars we have been to."**

**"Is that what all these notations are," Max asked, pointing at the map.**

**Varec nodded. "This one here…" He indicated a small sun-spiked orb in the lower left corner of the map and hurriedly wrote in some names for Max and Michael's sake… "This orb is the earth that your younger doubles lived on… the earth where Liz was paralyzed… And this is their Antar…" He pointed at another tiny orb about three inches to the right."**

**"They look really close when you see them this way," Max said, "…considering that they're seven galaxies apart, I mean."**

**Varec nodded. "That's because the cosmos is so big by comparison… and we have to take dimensions into consideration, too."**

**"What is this," Max asked, pointing at another tiny orb on the map.**

**"That is the Antar where the children were trying to chase us away with fire in the sky… where the parents were asleep in the black bog."**

**"Dead," Liz corrected… "Or something that was about the same thing."**

**Varec nodded. "And this Antar over here is the one we just left… where Alex is the king."**

**"How do you know which one is which," Michael asked.**

**Varec smiled… "The notations tell me everything I need to know."**

**"Explain this one," Michael said.**

**Varec nodded. "Well… D2 El'r means 'Dimension 2 Eluymer… or Earth… because it is the second one we went to. Here is the longitudinal position for that planet, based on the positions of the stars in their dimension. Then this is their latitudinal position, based on the same reckoning. And this is the dimensional plane, based on a theoretical cosmic core being right out… here. It's a reference point… whether or not it turns out to be the actual center of the universe is irrelevant. I could put those equations into the ship's computers and the ship would find its way back to that planet with no problem."**

**Max nodded… "How do you figure out where we are interdimensionally? I understand the star positions, but how do you determine a particular dimension's position or plane or whatever?"**

**"Triangulation. If you look at the figures, you will see that the positions of the stars and planets follow a formula. They're triangulating as we proceed through the various dimensions. It would seem, at first glance, that they are coming closer together… or getting further apart, depending on the direction one is going… but that is only an illusion. They are not. It is similar to the effect that you get when looking at something that is far away. It looks smaller, and everything between you and the distant object is proportionally smaller in turn, so that if you were to hold both arms out and draw a line from the tip of each hand to the distant object, the lines would appear to converge at some distant point… but every object in between would be on a level with the line… if it is on the same interdimensional intersecting plane. The lines are not really coming together, though. It is a matter of perception. The same formula that will calculate that perceptual effect will also effectively calculate the positions of the different Antars. On the map, they triangulate… That allows us to locate them. But then by applying the correction formula, we can expand the universe… in a manner of speaking… so that its true dimensions are represented… and plot an accurate course directly to the next Antar, in the next dimension. We just follow the line. Does that make sense?"**

**Liz nodded. "Yes! It does!"**

**"It does?" Max and Michael both asked at the same time. "Oh, yeah… yeah, it does," Max agreed, sounding less than convincing.**

**"Well, it works," Michael added, "I never argue with what works."**

**Max nodded.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**It was the morning of the third day when the crew spotted Antar ahead, and everyone gathered on the bridge to watch, as they drew nearer. Oddly, as they approached, they noticed that there was no radio chatter on the airwaves. Usually, one could hear numerous conversations going on between pilots and the Antar Control Center and between pilots and each other… but there was nothing…**

**"Do you think we should go into stealth mode this time… just to be safe," Max asked, though it was more of a suggestion than a question. Michael nodded and engaged the ship's invisibility shield then activated the other stealth systems.**

**"It looks like our Antar," Maria said hopefully.**

**"So did the others," Tess reminded her, "…Well, except for the one where we were getting peppered with fire balls and meteors… but those were illusions that the kids were creating."**

**"Jiba," Maria said, nodding, "Your daughter's double."**

**Tess shrugged and smiled. It had been a harrowing experience for the crew of the New Granolith, but Tess had to admit that she was proud, in a vicarious way, of her double's daughter's amazing abilities… and of the way the children had stuck together, pooling their talents to chase away Kivar's shadow shifter assassins… and even Kivar himself.**

**The New Granolith glided into the atmosphere, descending over the Golden Sea and then turning inland over CoruzAntar, the capitol, as everyone watched expectantly through the huge bridge window. The palace was there. And there seemed to be traffic on the roads… though it was lighter than usual. Max and Michael brought the ship around and set it down in a field on the outskirts of the city.**

**In reality, "set the ship down" was a bit misleading, though not exactly inaccurate. The New Granolith never actually sat on the ground; it didn't even have landing gear. Rather, it nestled into an anti-gravity field generated beneath the ship, as though sitting on a huge invisible pillow. This field could be increased or decreased to make the ship "sit" at various altitudes, anywhere from less than an inch off the ground… theoretically… though they had never tried it… to the equivalent of about 300 feet off the ground. It could "hover," of course, at any altitude, but the anti-gravity field, which provided a positive placement lock, only worked to about 300 feet. Usually, they set the ship down somewhere between 20-40 feet off the ground. This time, Michael had set it at 40 feet. **

**"I'll go check the place out," Max said, "Jim and Kyle can come with me."**

**"Better you should stay in the ship," Michael objected, "I'll go. Jim and Kyle can come with me. If something goes wrong, you need to be on the ship where you can do something about it."**

**"You mean where I won't get hurt," Max retorted unhappily, knowing that he wouldn't win an argument with Michael on this. When it came to doing his job, "General Michael," as most of the troops called him, could be unmovable… totally.**

**Max fell back into the pilot's seat with a dejected look on his face. "Just once! Just once I'd like to over-rule him!"**

**Liz smiled. "Why didn't you?"**

**Max sighed. "Because he's right… But I don't have to like it!"**

**"Michael will be better protected if you're safe here where you can help him if he gets into trouble out there," Maria said.**

**Max looked at Maria for a moment… "Is everybody the voice of reason here but me?"**

**Maria grinned. "I've always been the voice of reason… You guys just have to listen more often."**

**Max smiled slightly and nodded. "Alright! Alright! I give up! I know when I'm fighting the wind. And you're right… I can do more from in here… But I still feel like I should be out there." **

**Liz smiled, understanding.**

**Michael took Jim and Kyle with him and transported down to the surface, then the three of them walked off toward the palace. They didn't have to walk far. As they reached the road, a hover car… a sea-blue Fan-Ji IV… approached, and the driver slowed to a stop.**

**"Do you guys need a ride somewhere?"**

**"Yeah, that'd be cool," Kyle replied in Antarian, which he, like the others, was fluent in after living on Antar for so long.**

**"Where 're you going," the driver of the blue Fan-Ji IV asked.**

**"Uh… we thought we'd go into the capitol… over near the royal palace… do some shopping or just catch the sights," Michael said.**

**The man nodded. "You're not from around here, are you? Where you from? You're not from the Chanesio region… are you?"**

**Michael shook his head. "I wouldn't know how to raise shebbles."**

**"I didn't think so. You don't look like shebble herders… more like the old royal class."**

**"Old royal class?" Kyle and Michael both asked at the same time.**

**"Yeah, well, you know… before 'HE' came."**

**"Oh… yeah… HIM," Michael said, looking at Kyle. Kyle shrugged.**

**"He's a strange sort, isn't he," Michael said, pretending to know who the driver meant, and at the same time fishing for any information that could be useful to them.**

**"I guess so," the driver replied. "I haven't met many Eluymerians. Actually, I never saw one at all… before HE came."**

**"Eluymerian… He's from Earth," Kyle said in a whisper. "Do you think he means Max?"**

**Michael shrugged. It seemed odd that the driver would refer to their king so cryptically… as HE or HIM. Antarians called Max, Zan… or the king… or his majesty… many things, but "HE" was not one of them. It set Michael's defensive alarms off. "You don't think Alex is the king here, too, do you?" he whispered.**

**Kyle shrugged. "Could be… I guess. But I didn't hear anyone refer to Alex as HE or HIM. They called him by name."**

**Michael nodded. "That's true… but we weren't there very long and didn't meet many people… outside of the palace, I mean."**

**"That's true," Kyle admitted.**

**"What are you guys talking about," the driver asked.**

**"Oh… just, you know… HIM," Kyle said.**

**"Oh." The driver nodded. "He's a bit of a mystery, isn't he?"**

**"How do you mean," Michael asked.**

**"Well, you know… I mean, he shows up here out of the blue, makes friends with Kivar… then Kivar mysteriously disappears and HE takes over as the leader. But nobody ever sees him. He never gives any speeches or holds any government meetings…"**

**"Maybe he doesn't speak Antarian," Kyle said… "He's from Eluymer, right?"**

**The driver nodded. "Yeah… that's probably it. But it's still strange. What do you think happened to Kivar… I mean, not that I miss him, you understand!"**

**"Of course," Kyle replied.**

**"That is a mystery," Michael added.**

**"Yes, it is," the driver said. "There's a lot of us that think HE knocked Kivar off… secretly."**

**"Not that that would be a bad thing, I guess," Michael said.**

**The driver smiled. "True! But we know so little about HIM. We don't even know his name. He could be as bad as Kivar. Nobody knows."**

**Michael looked at Kyle, and Kyle nodded, "That explains the 'HE' and 'HIM.' They don't know his name."**

**"Don't you ever call him the king… or your majesty," Michael asked, venturing out on a limb.**

**"Well, we don't really know if he is the king or not," the driver replied, "HE doesn't ever come out or mix with the people or communicate with them. He just stays locked up in the palace… except when the palace guards take someone to see him."**

**"He sends guards for people?" Michael asked, showing sudden interest. "What for?"**

**The driver shrugged. "Nobody knows."**

**"Don't the people he sends the guards for ever talk… after they've been to see HIM?" Kyle asked.**

**"I don't know," the driver said honestly, "I've never heard."**

**"Do they… come back?" Michael asked cautiously.**

**The driver was silent for several moments then shrugged. "I don't know. The truth is, I've never heard that they did or they didn't. It's a mystery."**

**"It sure is," Kyle agreed.**

**"Well, there's the palace right up there," the driver said, "Where do you want out?"**

**"Anywhere will be fine," Michael replied, "Right here's okay."**

**The driver stopped, and Michael and Kyle got out.**

**"Thanks for the ride," Michael said, "You saved us a lot of walking!"**

**The man smiled. "It was my pleasure. I enjoyed talking with you. I hope you find out more about HIM. But I've got to tell you, he gives me the willies. I don't know why… but he just does… and I've never even seen him."**

**Michael nodded and turned to Kyle, motioning with his head in the direction of the palace. Kyle understood and started to walk that way. **

**"Bye," Michael said, waving at their benefactor, "I've got to catch up with my friend."**

**"So long," the driver replied with a quick wave and a smile, as he drove off.**

**Michael hurried to catch up to Kyle. The palace was still a quarter of a mile away… approximately. Because of the extensive grounds that surrounded it, it was effectively isolated from the main roads, shops, and thoroughfares, even though it sat in the center of the capitol city.**

**Six minutes later, Michael and Kyle stood next to the palace's outer wall…**

**"What now, Michael?"**

**"One of us climbs up to that third floor balcony up there and takes a look around inside," Michael said… "I guess that'll be me."**

**Kyle smiled… "Yeah, that's right, you have some experience at that sort of thing, don't you? Dad told me after you 'fessed up."**

**Michael looked back at Kyle and cringed. "Geez, it wasn't supposed to be a public service announcement."**

**Kyle grinned and shook his head. "He just told me."**

**Michael nodded then started to scale the wall… "Well, that was the Roswell Sheriff's Office. This might be a little harder." **

**Kyle looked up at the third floor balcony then back at Michael. Michael was half way up the wall already. "You'll make it," he whispered confidently.**

**Seconds later, Michael stepped onto the small ledge that protruded beyond the balcony railing. He stayed outside the railing to avoid being seen by anyone who might be inside.**

**"What do you see," Kyle called up in a quiet voice. Michael shook his head… "Nothing yet." But at that moment, a light came on inside the room, and Michael ducked down again behind the outside of the railing. It was a man… about average build. It wasn't Max, though… nor was it Alex. Michael was sure of that. Whoever it was, it wasn't anyone that Michael recognized. Michael pressed closer to the railing, peering between the bars, as the man walked back and forth a couple of times across the room, seeming oblivious to anything around him, lost in thought. Then, suddenly, the man unexpectedly looked straight in Michael's direction, almost as though some alarm had gone off in his head. Michael went white, as he recognized the face looking at him; and in shock, he instinctively took a step back. He immediately knew that he had made a mistake, but it was too late. **

**Kyle watched in horror as Michael plunged three stories to the ground, landing hard on his back. Rushing to Michael's side, Kyle did what he could for him… which wasn't much at the moment. Blood was coming from the corner of Michael's mouth, and he appeared to be fading quickly.**

**"I'll get Max," Kyle said hoarsely, starting to jump up; but Michael's hand grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip and pulled him back down… "No time… Kyle… Tell Max… get everyone out of here. Don't bring Max back here. GO! LEAVE!"**

**"But… but…" Kyle objected, "I'll take you with me then." He started to pick Michael up.**

**"No time…" Michael gasped with a raspy cough, pushing Kyle away. "Get Max out of here… NOW! Leave this Antar… Don't… ever come back…" Michael's eyes closed, and Kyle looked up at the balcony… and into the face that was staring down at him… Then he ran.**

**End of Chapter 26**

**tbc…**


	28. Chapter 27

**Thanks for the feedback, Jambeth, Alienstarburst, and Red-rumm! **

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The False Regent**

**Chapter 27**

**XXVII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**"No! No, you had to be mistaken! There is no way… no way at all that it could have been him! Maybe it was someone who looked like him."**

**"I'm telling you, Max, it was Pierce! I saw him with my own eyes… right there on the balcony of the palace!"**

**Max's fists clenched involuntarily, and his face flushed, but he still refused to acknowledge any possibility that Daniel Pierce could be on Antar.**

**"How long till we get there," Maria asked, tugging on Max's arm.**

**"Two minutes… probably less," Max replied, turning back again to Kyle…**

**"You never saw Pierce before, Kyle. How can you be certain it was him?"**

**"Like hell I didn't! He came to Roswell pretending to be Dad's new deputy… remember? He called himself Deputy Fisher. I saw him lots of times… I even talked to him several times… It was HIM, Max! It was HIM!"**

**Max groaned and closed his eyes tightly.**

**"How long," Maria pleaded.**

**"We're almost there," Max replied sympathetically… **

**"How would Pierce get to Antar?"**

**Kyle shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know… Maybe it's a warp thing in this dimension…" **

**"No dimension could be that screwed up," Max spat, his tone still betraying his disbelief, as Maria pulled on his arm again.**

**"We're there," Max whispered soothingly, patting Maria's hand, "Where did you leave him, Kyle?"**

**"Right under the big balcony on the east side… the one off of the main suite. He fell three floors… God, I hope we're in time…"**

**Max swallowed hard and brought the ship down closer, so close that it was almost scrapping the roof of the palace. The ship was shielded by numerous stealth features that Varec had developed, including invisibility… but it was too big to land on the palace lawn… even as big as the palace lawn was. **

**"I can't get any lower, Kyle… not without flattening the palace."**

**"I don't see him," Maria said, her voice shaking, as she gazed intently into the big video screen that gave them a panoramic view of everything that lay directly beneath the ship. **

**"He was right there… right below that balcony," Kyle insisted, pointing.**

**"Where is he," Maria asked, "I don't see him!" **

**"We'll find him," Liz said, putting her arm around Maria protectively. "Wherever they took him, Max will find him."**

**Maria sniffed and ran her fingers over her eyes. She was trying hard to be a rock, but she was crumbling… and she knew it. They had all been through a lot together through the years, and the fact that this particular incident had shaken them up so badly… so unexpectedly… was a shock to them all. It could have been almost anyone else in the palace… one of the dupes… Nicholas… even Kivar… and they could have accepted it… well, not accepted it, but at least dealt with it rationally. After all, Kivar was more dangerous than Pierce; Kivar had alien powers. So why was Pierce's presence here affecting them this way? Though none of them voiced that question out loud, deep inside, they thought it… What they were feeling right now was not at all unlike an out and out panic attack… the kind that can occur long after a deeply traumatizing incident, even though it might seem illogical on the surface.**

**But even if it was illogical, NO ONE was underestimating Pierce. He was crafty, deceptive, doggedly determined… and most of all, soullessly brutal in his quest to destroy aliens. He wasn't Kivar, but he WAS someone never to be underestimated. And worst of all… Michael was injured and it appeared that Pierce had him. That was cause enough for a panic attack.**

**"I FOUND HIM!" Max exclaimed, locking the scanning device onto the signal emitted by the tiny ID pin inside Michael's shirt. "Let's just hope it's him and Pierce hasn't removed his shirt or found the clip."**

**Maria closed her eyes and appeared to say a silent prayer.**

**A moment later, Michael appeared on the bridge. He was lying on his side, curled up in a semi-fetal position, unconscious, but still clinging to life. His shirt had been removed, but he was clutching it in front of himself tightly. Max immediately placed both hands over Michael's head, and a greenish glow appeared for a moment. Then he rolled him onto his back and ran his right hand along just above Michael's body, from head to toe, healing the injuries that had been caused in the fall. Within a couple of minutes, Michael began to come around.**

**Max let out a deep breath of relief then turned to Maria and smiled… "He'll be okay." **

**Maria started to say something, but she couldn't find her voice; instead, she unexpectedly broke down and started crying, then she knelt beside Michael on the floor and kissed him.**

**"Ohhh… that hurt…" Michael groaned, opening his eyes.**

**"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" Maria whispered.**

**"Not your kiss… the fall," Michael said, sitting up carefully and looking at his bare chest then pausing to see if everything else felt like it was still "all there." With Pierce, one could never be too sure. Satisfied that he hadn't lost anything, he put both of his arms around Maria. "The kiss was exactly what I needed. Actually, I could use another one… to replenish my energy." He smiled, and Maria complied… a bit overenthusiastically.**

**"Well, that should do it," Max said, grinning. "If that didn't kick-start his heart and repower his batteries, he's already beyond help." The others laughed.**

**"Get us out of here," Max said, turning to Varec, who immediately sat down in the pilot's seat and took control of the ship, taking it quickly back into space, as the palace… and then Antar… disappeared behind them.**

**Michael looked at Kyle and adopted a scolding look on his face. "I told you not to let Max come back for me… to get him out of there!"**

**"Have you ever tried to make Max do anything?" Kyle retorted. "I told him what you said."**

**"You didn't try hard enough."**

**Kyle smiled guiltily.**

**"You could have been caught," Michael protested angrily, turning to Max. "I gave an order. You shouldn't have come back."**

**"I over-ruled you… General," Max said, grinning, "I've wanted to do that for a long time!"**

**Michael rubbed his head. "Why didn't you, then?"**

**Max shrugged… "You were usually right."**

**"I was right this time."**

**"No, you weren't!" Maria said, kissing Michael again. "I wasn't going to let anybody leave you. You know that."**

**"Ah… the real power," Michael said with a slight smile. Liz chuckled and nodded.**

**"What'd she do, Max, kick you in the shins and make you turn the ship around?"**

**"Now you know," Max replied with a sober face.**

**"Well… we'll talk about it later," Michael said, looking around the room for a couple of moments. Then he looked back at Max and smiled… "Thanks."**

**"Don't mention it."**

**The truth is, Michael knew from the moment he gave Kyle the order that Max would never follow it. It's why he had grasped his shirt so tightly to himself and curled up around it as he had passed out on Pierce's operating table. He knew full well that Max would return for him… and when that shirt beamed onboard, he wanted to be with it.**

**"Pierce! Of all people… Pierce!" Michael muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.**

**Max shook his head, too… "What I want to know is what was he doing there… on Antar? And how did he get there?"**

**"The granolith," Michael replied, suddenly remembering something, "I was carried into the palace by two guards, Doryth and Boklo."**

**Max looked surprised. "I know Boklo. He's an honest person… a good person! I can't believe he'd cooperate with Pierce!"**

**"Pierce has them over a barrel. Boklo told me a few things quietly… before Pierce came in. Pierce controls the granolith. It protects him… from anyone. He's basically all-powerful. The Antarians are scared. Boklo was apologizing to me… but he was scared to death… for his family mostly."**

**Max nodded, understanding… "I got the idea that these Antarians didn't know much about Pierce… that he was a mystery here… never came out in public or anything."**

**Michael shrugged then nodded. "That may be true out there in the general population… but he has a small private circle of terror around him… and he's expanding it. He has the palace guards and a few other people who know what's going on bowing and scraping and eating off the floor, literally, if he tells them to. He has the families of all the palace guards and a few important people locked up. They can't see them. They don't know if they're even alive, but they do whatever Pierce says… ever since he… he… dissected a couple of Kivar's guards… as a lesson… to show them how painful their loved ones' deaths could be… in his hands."**

**Max closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and Liz put her hands over her face. Maria turned white.**

**"He's a monster," Michael continued, "WHEREVER he is."**

**Max pounded his right fist into his left hand in frustration… "But how the hell did Pierce learn to control the granolith? WE never even knew all the things the granolith could do… not until years later, after we were on Antar."**

**"His cronies in the FBI succeeded in translating the book."**

**"The Destiny Book?"**

**Michael nodded. "That one… and apparently another one that we never knew anything about. Pierce had it."**

**"Oh, God…" Max groaned. "And the granolith protects him now?"**

**"That's what Boklo said. He's invincible."**

**"He can't be invincible," Max protested, his mind starting to go places that Michael wasn't sure he liked.**

**"Max, whatever you're thinking, stop it!"**

**"It's Antar, Michael… Antar!"**

**"I know, Max… I don't like it any more than you do, but maybe the Antarians here need to fix it themselves."**

**"And if they can't? Michael, you as well as anyone know what Pierce is capable of."**

**"Yeah, that's why I don't want you down there. He wants you, Max… on his trophy wall… with a plaque under your head that says, 'King Of Antar… VERY DECEASED.' "**

**Max looked at Michael, and Michael sighed and nodded… "We're going back, aren't we…"**

**"Do you really want to leave those people's fate to Pierce?"**

**Michael shook his head. "I knew you'd do this, Max… but I had to warn you against it."**

**Max nodded. "I know. You've done your duty, now can we do this together?"**

**"I'm always with you, you know that, Max. I want to whip Pierce's fraudulent royal ass and send him packing back to where he came from as badly as you do. No Antar deserves to suffer through that. It's enough to make Antarians start their own alien task force."**

**"It would be justified in their case… after meeting Pierce," Max agreed. "Varec…"**

**"It's already done, Zan. We're heading back."**

**Max looked at Liz and Maria… then at Tess, Kyle, Jim, Alex, Isabel, and Rayylar. To a person, they all nodded.**

**"We've got more guts than brains," Michael said, smiling. "Somebody remember to put that on our epitaph. We'll be fighting the granolith's powers, you know."**

**End of Chapter 27**

**tbc…**


	29. Chapter 28

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The ****Granolith's Revenge**

**Chapter 28**

**XXVII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Antarian mothership, the New Granolith, sailed back into the Antarian atmosphere, armed with every imaginable stealth device that Varec had been able to give it. Max and Michael both knew that if Pierce actually had succeeded in gaining control of the original granolith in this dimension, they were going to be in for a very difficult fight. Although the New Granolith was far superior, in many ways, to the original granolith; after all, the New Granolith could travel interdimensionally and carry huge numbers of people, the original granolith was intended to be more than just a method of transportation between planets. It was also a weapon… a formidable weapon… a semi-intelligent weapon. It could, and would, protect the rightful king or whomever it perceived to be the rightful king. And somehow… no one knew how… Pierce had made it believe that he was the rightful heir to the Antarian throne. The New Granolith, for all its sophistication and immense size, was never meant to be a weapon; it was meant to be a mothership… a vessel of peace. Some of its systems could be turned into weapons… by a resourceful person like Varec… no doubt; but it still would not be a match for the original granolith in a show of powers. The New Granolith did have the advantages of stealth and size, though. And, it had a resourceful crew thinking for it and guiding it. Max wondered if that would be enough against the original granolith's powers.**

**The ship had barely entered Antarian airspace… fully cloaked and in full stealth mode… when it was rocked by a powerful shock wave.**

**"What was that?" Maria asked, grabbing hold of Michael's arm and then his co-pilot's seat to keep from being thrown to the floor.**

**"If I had to guess," Michael replied glumly, "I'd say it was a challenge… or at least a warning… from the granolith."**

**"But we're in stealth mode… aren't we?" Maria asked, holding tightly to the back of Michael's co-pilot's seat and spreading her feet out a bit further for stability. **

**Michael nodded. "Apparently it's not fooling the granolith. We might as well have a big target painted on us."**

**This information caused everyone's heart to sink a little bit, but it did not destroy their resolve. It was only the opening salvo in the battle. They were not going to turn and run on the opening salvo.**

**"I say we go straight for Pierce," Michael said. "He controls what's happening in the long run. If we chop off the snake's head…"**

**Max nodded… "Agreed."**

**Max turned the New Granolith in the direction of the palace and brought the ship down so low over the Golden Sea that it was almost skimming the surface of the water. Only a dozen seconds had passed, though, before a huge wall of water appeared suddenly directly in front of the ship, like an immense, two-hundred-foot high tsunami rising up out of the Golden Sea. Max and Michael had no time to react. The ship plunged into the wall of water with full force… slowing considerably as it did. Everyone waited for the ship to emerge on the other side of the wave… and they waited… and they waited…**

**"Uh, Max," Kyle said at last, "Where are we?"**

**Max chuckled, and Michael smiled, knowing exactly what had happened. "Whoever or whatever threw that wall of water at us," Max said, "expected it to crush us; and it would have if we were any normal ship, but the New Granolith is easily able to withstand those forces. I suspect that something was waiting to see if we made it through to the other side or not; so as soon as we plunged into the wave, I took the ship down… under the sea. We're below the surface, but still moving toward the shore."**

**"Cool," Alex said, starting to smile, too. "So when we don't come out on the other side of the wave, the granolith thinks we're history, and it stops looking for us."**

**"That's the plan." Michael said.**

**"Works for me," Kyle agreed.**

**"It will slow us down a bit," Max admitted, "It'll take more than four times as long to get there underwater, but if it works…"**

**Apparently, it did. Twenty-two minutes later, the New Granolith rose back out of the sea, having gone as far as it could go underwater due to its size and the shallower depths near shore, and it headed off again in the direction of the palace. During the time spent below the surface, nothing unexpected had occurred. They knew that that would not last, though… and it didn't.**

**Eighteen seconds after coming out of the water, the New Granolith was unexpectedly caught in a magnetic wave that effectively and instantly shut down all power on the ship. The ship came to a precipitous halt but did not fall to the ground or crash. **

**"Is it holding us here… in the air?" Max asked, though he didn't really expect an answer.**

**Varec shook his head. "It doesn't know how to shut our backups down."**

**Max and Michael both looked at Varec… "Backups?" both of them asked at the same time.**

**Varec nodded. I built in backup anti-gravity generators before we left Antar… our Antar, I mean. Since we were going interdimensional, I wasn't sure what we might encounter, so I devised a new system that operates on a totally new theory. I never had time to test it under actual field conditions, and it was never intended to replace the main generators or systems.**

**"Well, apparently it works," Kyle said appreciatively, "You can go to the front of the class."**

**Indeed, the backups did work, and with one major unexpected benefit. The system was so radically different than anything else that existed in any of the known galaxies that the granolith apparently did not know how to shut it down. But Varec had no doubt that it would learn how to very quickly. It was going to be a race between the granolith and Varec… the granolith to find a way to shut down Varec's radical new backup system… and Varec to get the ship moving again.**

**"It works like a charm," Alex said, stating the obvious, "But now all we can do is sit here and wait to be slapped down with a giant fly swatter or something when the granolith figures out how to kill it."**

**"Maybe not," Varec said, already working feverishly to bypass the main system in the engine compartment. "If I'm right, I may be able to route the power from the backup anti-gravity generators to the entire ship."**

**"You'd better hurry," Tess said, looking around with a worried expression, "I can tell you that the granolith will figure it out very quickly… no matter how different the system is."**

**"I'm doing my best," Varec said. **

**Everyone knew that that was true… and it was all they could ask for. Nobody else on the ship had the ability that Varec had to get them out of this. But could he do it fast enough? That would be the crucial question.**

**"I've got it… I think!" Varec said, backing out of the engine compartment and flipping a switch. Immediately, the power came on, and Michael shot the ship forward, momentarily breaking the granolith's grip and propelling the ship in the direction of the palace, which was no longer very far away. It took less than a minute… about 45 seconds in all, in fact… to get there. **

**Michael quickly placed the ship directly over the palace…**

**"I'm betting that the granolith doesn't want the palace crushed under a falling space ship that takes up several city blocks… not if it's trying to protect someone inside there. So it won't be sucking the energy out of our ship as long as we're sitting right on top of the palace."**

**Max nodded and grinned then turned to Varec… "Can we get Pierce up here… maybe with the transporter?"**

**Varec shook his head. "Only if he had a pin on him somewhere."**

**"So somebody has to go down there and stick a pin on him… is that what you're saying," Kyle asked.**

**"That would be one way," Varec conceded.**

**"I'll go," Kyle said, "One way or the other, I'll get a pin on him. You guys just be ready up here to beam me back up with him once the pin is on him."**

**"I'll go with you," Michael said.**

**"No," Kyle replied, surprising Michael with his sudden authoritarian manner, "You need to be here on the ship where you can protect Max and the others. I can do this. It'll be better if one person goes. I can avoid attention easier if I'm alone."**

**Michael nodded, knowing that, at least logistically, Kyle was right. "Okay… go for it… but you may have trouble clipping a clip pin to him if there's nothing easily accessible to clip it to… and the Velcro ones are no good, because there isn't likely to be any Velcro on him."**

**Kyle grinned and selected a pin with a long, sharp prong on the back, "No sweat. I'll use this one. If it doesn't go into his shirt, it'll go into his arm just fine."**

**Maria grinned and closed her eyes, and Max laughed. **

**Kyle smiled and touched his own pin, just inside his shirt…**

**"Kyle…" Max said, "Good luck."**

**Kyle nodded then disappeared from the ship in a wisp of light. He reappeared inside the palace and, looking around, quickly ascertained where he was. Kyle knew the palace well… at least he knew the one on his own Antar well. And so far they had all been fairly similar. This one did not appear to be any different. He edged his way down the grand hall, staying in the shadows as much as possible, rushing fleetingly from one column to the next until he reached the king's suite. He listened at the door but heard nothing. That really didn't mean anything, though. The doors of the palace were thick and very soundproof.**

**Kyle tested the handle carefully, and the door opened… just a bit. He looked around the room. There was no one there, so he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside, quietly closing the door back behind himself.**

**"I'm inside the king's suite," he whispered into the pin under his shirt, "Pierce isn't here, but he's bound to return eventually. I'll wait for a while and try to surprise him."**

**Kyle looked around the huge room. For some reason, it gave him the creeps. It had none of the warmth of Max and Liz's suite on their Antar. It looked more like a huge laboratory with a bed in it. Kyle grimaced…**

**"He dissects them and sleeps in the same room? How sick is this man!"**

**For a moment, Kyle fought off a shudder. Then he heard the door handle turn. Quickly, he dove behind a covered table. It was Pierce, and he was alone. He looked frustrated. Kyle watched as Pierce picked up a scalpel and turned it over several times in his hand, as though longing to use it, but… Michael had been "abducted" from his table right under his nose. It must have galled Pierce immensely. Still, there was so much that just did not make sense here. This room looked like it had been lived in this way for a considerable amount of time… and yet… few people on this Antar, outside of the palace guards and some apparently kidnapped victims, seemed to know even the most basic thing about this man who was pretending to be their king. It made no sense. But then… Pierce never had made any sense to Kyle.**

**As Kyle watched, Pierce walked across the room and removed his shirt, tossing it onto a large bureau. Then he sat down on the foot of the bed and removed his shoes.**

**_If he removes his pants, I'll gag and give myself away,_**** Kyle thought to himself, as he watched from behind the covered table.**

**But Pierce did not remove his pants, at least for the moment. He stood back up and walked toward the door, then he looked like he was going to walk back to the bed again; but instead, he turned and walked back the way he had come from. Then he walked the other way again, and Kyle realized, with growing alarm, that each time Pierce paced back and forth, he seemed to come closer and closer to where he was hiding. It had to be a coincidence. Finally, Pierce walked in front of the table, directly on the other side of where Kyle was hiding, and as he did, he flipped the table over, exposing Kyle, who looked momentarily like a deer caught in the headlights… but only momentarily. He quickly recovered from the surprise and leapt at Pierce, hoping to get the pin onto him, but Pierce was ready for him. Pierce waved his hand, and Kyle felt something slam into him… hard. Kyle reeled backwards, rolling on the floor from the force. It felt like he had run head on into a stone wall and then been run over by a truck…**

**"Oh, crap! What the hell was that?"**

**Pierce smiled, but it was a sadistic sort of smile. "That, Valenti, was a force field. You may have heard that I am well protected here. Well, it's true. I have powers that you never dreamed of."**

**"You mean the granolith."**

**Pierce smiled, obviously pleased with himself. "The alien machine does my every wish… It reads my mind. Its powers are mine. I can kill you with the wave of a hand."**

**"Why don't you then?"**

**"You know me better than that, Valenti. Did I ever take the easy way… if there was a better way?"**

**"You mean if there was a more sadistic way?"**

**"Sadistic is such a harsh word. I protect my planet from alien invasion."**

**"This is not your planet, Pierce. What are you protecting here?"**

**"Isn't that obvious? Earth! Eventually, I'll wipe this alien colony out… and earth will be safe."**

**"It's not a colony… it's a planet. It's their planet."**

**"Only semantics, Valenti. I see no difference. It's a planet of aliens that intend to take over our planet. So I take over their planet first. I wipe out the colony before it attacks us."**

**"How in the name of everything unholy and sadistic did you get the granolith to protect you, Pierce? That's what I want to know!"**

**"Granolith? Oh, yeah, the alien machine. The aliens were kind enough to provide us with an instruction manual for it. Nice of them, huh!"**

**Kyle sighed. "That's what I heard… but it doesn't make sense."**

**"It doesn't matter, Kyle… it won't help you to know how I did it. You're not going to live long enough to enjoy the knowledge."**

**"Or to tell anybody?"**

**"Exactly."**

**"Then there is more to tell."**

**Pierce smiled again. It seemed that he smiled a lot. But it was the smile of a shark. "I don't know why I should tell you anything, Valenti. You can't help me."**

**"I didn't know you needed help… Dan."**

**"I don't!" Pierce said quickly… almost defensively, "I just meant that if I did, you wouldn't be able to… do anything about it anyway."**

**"You need to get off of this planet," Kyle said, venturing a guess.**

**Pierce rolled his eyes. "Kyle, I have the machine. It does my bidding. When I'm ready to go home… after this alien plague is wiped out… it will take me home."**

**"Really?"**

**"Really."**

**"What was that "alien machine" called again, Pierce?"**

**Pierce looked at Kyle, and his eyes sparkled… with daggers. "It doesn't matter what it's called, Kyle. What matters is it obeys me."**

**"That's the part I can't figure out, Pierce. That was never meant to happen. It's… it's… impossible. The granolith was made with too many safeguards to fall into the hands of someone like you."**

**Apparently, Kyle struck a nerve with that last comment, because Pierce swung around and grabbed him by the collar, pinning him to the wall… **

**"WHAT do you know about that machine, Kyle?"**

**Kyle smiled, reading the truth in Pierce's eyes. "Everything you'd like to know, Pierce. Everything you pretend to know, but don't."**

**"Don't mess with me, Kyle. I can destroy you with a wave of my hand. You've seen that."**

**The air went out of Kyle's lungs. He HAD seen that. He had FELT it! Whatever Pierce knew or did not know, he clearly did have the power. It just didn't make sense.**

**"If you tell me what I want to know," Pierce said slowly… and threateningly… "I could be inclined to let you live."**

**"You're too generous."**

**"Don't knock it. It's better than the alternative. Would you like to see some of the alternatives?" Pierce pulled the sheet off of the table, and Kyle saw a number of Antarian internal organs."**

**"How long have those been there," Kyle asked, turning uncharacteristically white.**

**"A few days… maybe a week… some of them," Pierce replied.**

**Kyle shook his head. "Antarian bodies dissolve into dust upon death… or very shortly thereafter. No way would they last a few days… much less a week."**

**"I've learned to preserve them," Pierce said with a sadistic smile.**

**Kyle sensed that Pierce was telling the truth, at least on this matter, and for a moment, he couldn't think of anything to say.**

**"All I want from you, Kyle, is information on the alien machine… the granolith machine."**

**"Don't you already know everything there is to know about it? It protects you, doesn't it?"**

**Pierce looked frustrated, and he was losing patience. Aware that this conversation couldn't go much further without Pierce doing something rash, Kyle began to look for a way to put an end to the encounter, but Pierce had removed his shirt. If Kyle was going to stick the pin on him, he would have to stick it to his pants… or stick it into his skin. He lunged at Pierce's arm, but Pierce raised his hand, and a bolt of something like lightning hit Kyle, bowling him over.**

**Kyle groaned and tried to raise his head, but everything looked fuzzy, and the room was spinning.**

**"You thought you'd sucker punch me, Valenti? That was stupid… even for you." Pierce stood over Kyle and glared at him with those sparkling little daggers in his eyes…**

**"Tell me what I want to know, Kyle. It's your last chance."**

**"Okay… okay…" Kyle tried to lift himself off the floor; then instead, in one swift motion, with his head still swimming, he reached up and pinned the pin to Pierce's pants. Apparently, the pin went deep, and judging by Pierce's reaction, in a most sensitive place. Pierce let out a howl that was probably heard all the way up on the New Granolith.**

**"NOW!" Kyle yelled into his shirt. "NOW, MICHAEL! If you want to live to see tomorrow, get me out of here NOW!"**

**Kyle had not yet finished the sentence when he appeared on the bridge of the New Granolith… along with a very surprised Agent Pierce, who was still trying desperately to remove the deeply embedded pin from the family jewel box without causing more damage… or pain… than he had already suffered. Assessing his situation quickly, and finally getting the long prong out, Pierce held up one hand threateningly, and Kyle dove for cover.**

**"I should kill you ALL right here, right now!" **

**Pierce moved his hand slowly back and forth, choosing his first victim, as he issued his threat. Michael and Max already had him covered. Both of them had one hand up, palms aimed directly at him. It appeared to be a standoff. But there was that nagging little problem… Pierce was channeling the granolith's powers. If not for that, it would be no contest at all. Even if Pierce had somehow gained some kind of powers on his own, Max and Michael would incinerate him… easily… before he could act. But if the granolith was protecting Pierce… blasting him could get the New Granolith destroyed… and everyone onboard killed.**

**"You can't hurt me. You know that, don't you," Pierce blustered, "The machine protects me. I'm all-powerful."**

**"I would like to test that theory," Michael said calmly.**

**"Be my guest," Pierce said, a sadistic smile playing impatiently at his lips, as he moved his hand in Michael's direction. Then, without any forewarning at all, Pierce waved his hand as though he were swatting away a pesky fly. Michael and Max both dove for the floor and rolled, and Michael got off a solid blast that sent Pierce flying backwards into the wall. For some unknown reason, Pierce's attempt to blast Michael had been totally, and unexplainably, unsuccessful… like trying to shoot a gun and discovering that it was out of bullets… and no one was more surprised than Pierce…**

**"NO!" No, it can't be! They wouldn't dare!"**

**Max and Michael, seeing their chance, quickly subdued Pierce and tied him up, as he alternately ranted, cursed, and threatened ultimate vengeance against someone. Whom, they weren't sure.**

**"Well," said Maria, looking very relieved and maybe just a teeny bit cocky after the present unexpected turn of events, "It looks like the granolith has turned its back on you. I guess it doesn't like you much either."**

**Pierce appeared to sneer, and his eyes narrowed noticeably, but his mouth remained tightly shut.**

**"Who was it that betrayed you, Pierce," asked Max, "Who were you swearing vengeance against so vehemently just a moment ago?"**

**Pierce shook his head, but said nothing. **

**Max shrugged. "It doesn't matter. If you have nothing to say, we'll let the people down there decide what to do with you and be done with it."**

**"You can't…" Pierce blurted out unexpectedly, but then he hesitated, unsure that he wanted to say anything more.**

**"Just watch us," Michael said, grinning now like a Cheshire cat. "If there's anything I love it's poetic justice."**

**Pierce grimaced, even though he was trying to appear stoic… "What happens to me if I do talk?"**

**Michael looked at Max, and Max shrugged… "We can't let him go. We have to turn him over to the proper authorities either way. What would you do?"**

**Michael smiled ever so slightly… "I'd blast his ass."**

**Max looked at Pierce and noticed that an uneasy pall had settled over Pierce's face. Pierce had no reason at all to doubt that Michael would do what he said, given the opportunity… or the go ahead from Max and the others. And he had no reason at all to believe that anyone else aboard the New Granolith would be any kinder to him. He was certain that he wouldn't find mercy below, on Antar… not among those who knew him. One thing about being a self-serving sadistic tyrant is that it brings a certain relevancy to one's paranoia.**

**"If you take me back to earth, I'll tell you anything you want to know," Pierce said, out of the blue.**

**"Can't do that," Max replied, shaking his head, "We're on kind of a tight schedule. Besides, didn't you say that the granolith was going to return you to earth… after you destroyed Antar?"**

**"I have nothing more to say," Pierce replied, resigned now to what he assumed to be his inevitable fate and determined not to tell them anything more.**

**"Max," Liz said, patting Max gently on the arm, "Maybe we should ask the granolith ourselves."**

**"Yeah," Tess agreed, "The granolith on our Antar was designed to recognize the royal four… this one probably is, too. If it is, you can find out how Pierce got here and what's going on. We don't need Pierce to tell us anything."**

**"It can do that?" Pierce asked.**

**Max nodded.**

**Pierce groaned. **

**"So are you going to tell us yourself," Max asked.**

**"Find it out the hard way… if you can," Pierce retorted defiantly, "I'm not giving you anything. I have nothing to gain from it."**

**"Except maybe a good feeling inside for having done the right thing," Liz said innocently.**

**Pierce stared at Liz momentarily, wondering silently if she was serious. He decided that the comment had been intended as a smart-aleck jest.**

**Maria stifled a laugh and shook her head, as she put one arm around Liz protectively… "Girlfriend, I've got to have a serious talk with you sometime."**

**Liz turned slightly red and rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I know… I know… it sounded stupid. But I can't help it. I always think there's some good in everyone… somewhere… deep down. It just doesn't usually come out sounding so lame."**

**Maria glanced at Pierce and nodded… "Very, very, very, very, very deep down… maybe… but I'm not sure there's anything that goes that deep."**

**"I know," Liz said, smiling abashedly, "It was a momentary lapse. Just forget I said it."**

**"Don't try to change her," Max said, grinning, "If Liz ever sees the real me, she may decide to give me the boot."**

**Liz gave Max a playful shove… "I fell in love with you knowing what you are, Max. You never fooled me for a moment!" **

**She turned and walked away, and Max looked at Maria, puzzled… "What did she mean by that?"**

**Maria shrugged. "I'd say she wants you to wonder."**

**Max looked at Liz again then shook his head, dispelling any further questions he might have had on the subject in order to return to the matter at hand…**

**"Okay, we find the granolith… and we get some honest answers… about Pierce, I mean."**

**End of Chapter 28**

**tbc…**


	30. Chapter 29

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Shocking Revelations**

**Chapter 29**

**XXIX**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**"Assuming that the granolith in this dimension responds to the same frequencies as in our dimension, that should be it right down there," Varec said, holding a small hurriedly devised instrument in his hand and watching its tiny monitor, as he pointed to a spot on the New Granolith's large panoramic view screen that gave them a view of what lay directly below the ship…**

**"It looks like a tall garage… or maybe a silo," Max said, looking at the object on the screen.**

**Michael stared at the small but sturdy-looking building on the view screen… "Someone probably built it around the granolith. Most likely they didn't know how to move the granolith and it was the only way they knew of to hide it."**

**Max nodded. "You're probably right. So what do we do now, General? Beam ourselves down there into that garage… silo… or whatever it is?"**

**Michael shrugged. "Can you think of a better way?"**

**Max was silent for a moment then he shook his head… "No."**

**"Neither can I."**

**Max took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, the granolith hasn't tried to kill us since we left the palace… maybe it's had a change of heart."**

**"It's hardware," Michael corrected, "It doesn't have a heart… as such. It doesn't actually think, not the way we do; it carries out a set of logistics-driven orders that were installed in it when it was created… and it does that to the best of its ability… without being encumbered by a 'heart.' Besides, it may only be waiting for us to be away from Pierce so it can pick us off… if it really is protecting him."**

**"Good point," Max agreed… "We can't take anything for granted."**

**Michael shook his head. "Nothing at all."**

**"I'll go," Kyle offered.**

**Max smiled and shook his head. "You had all the fun last time, Kyle. Wasn't turning Pierce into a soprano enough for you? Anyway, It'll have to be me, because the granolith is more likely to recognize me."**

**"I'll go with you," Michael said, holding up his hand to squelch any objections from Max. Max thought about it for a moment then nodded. "Two of us may be better than one… are you ready?"**

**"Ready as I'll ever be."**

**Max touched the pin inside his shirt, and Michael touched the one in his, and both of them disappeared together in a wisp of light. They reappeared inside the structure.**

**"Well, that's it," Michael said, walking slowly around the granolith, which began to pulsate with a bluish light. "Why's it doing that?"**

**Max watched the granolith pulsate for a few moments… "I don't think it's being aggressive. It's just checking us out." Stepping forward, Max held his right hand out, palm up, and a six-foot-long beam of crackling light exploded from the granolith and into his hand. Michael went immediately on highest alert but did not interfere, surmising correctly that the granolith was trying to communicate rather than attack them. The crackling, lightning-like beam of light continued without letting up for almost two minutes, as the granolith alternately glowed with a cobalt blue color then a jade green then a deep ruby red. Max's body began to glow with the granolith, producing a thin aura of similar colors around him, making Michael more that a bit uncomfortable. But after a while, the glow began to subside, then the beam abruptly stopped.**

**Max looked around. At first, he seemed not to know where he was and appeared to be stunned.**

**"Max?"**

**"Yeah… Yeah, I'm… I'm okay. It was just… intense."**

**"For you or for me? You had me going there, pal. Are you sure you're okay?"**

**"I will be. I just have to get my bearings."**

**"What did it do to you?"**

**Max seemed to think about it for a moment, then a smile edged over his face… "It exchanged knowledge with me."**

**"You mean like… it told you what's going on… and why it was trying to kill us?"**

**"Not exactly. Come on! Let's get back to the ship. I have something to show you… something to show everybody."**

**Max and Michael both returned to the ship, and Max gathered everyone together.**

**"The granolith is… well, the best way I can say it is… confused… by Pierce. It has conflicting data on who he is. The best way to explain it is just to show you. The granolith took information directly from my mind, but it also put information into my mind… a lot of it… so much that the only way it could do it was to show me what happened. That information is still here inside me, like some biological video that's set to run. In a sense, I only have to turn it on to share it with you… Everyone hold hands and form an unbroken circle. Liz, you hold my hand. Maria, take my other hand, then everyone else take their hands."**

**"Are we going to feel anything, you know, weird," Maria asked.**

**"Not as weird as sleeping with Michael," Max said matter-of-factly.**

**"And you would know this how?" Maria asked.**

**"I'm guessing," Max retorted.**

**Maria took Michael's hand with her other hand and grinned. "For the record, I like sleeping with Michael. You don't know what you're missing, Max."**

**Max reddened ever so slightly, apparently wanting to get off of the subject and wishing he hadn't started it… "If everyone is ready…" He closed his eyes, and the others did the same. About three seconds later, a bright light came on very suddenly. Maria involuntarily opened her eyes but saw that the light was not in the room… it was in her head. Hesitantly, she closed her eyes again and watched…**

**It appeared that they were seeing through the granolith's eyes… or whatever it was that the granolith "saw" with. At first, it was dark, despite the bright light inside their heads, and there was only an empty room all around… but it was not a garage or a silo; it was the granolith chamber on earth. As they watched, light began to pour through a crack in the wall and into the chamber, then the stone doorway opened further and someone stepped in. It was Max. He was followed by Michael, Liz, Maria, Tess, and Isabel. They talked for a while, occasionally arguing about whether or not they should go to Antar… whether or not they should leave parents… friends… loved ones… and the life they knew. It was déjà vu for some, as though they were reliving their own earlier misgivings. But then something happened that was not familiar to them. A man with a gun unexpectedly burst into the chamber. As the light fell on his face, they saw that it was Pierce; he had apparently followed them. Pierce took one look at the granolith and knew instinctively what it meant. They were escaping… escaping forever… escaping to a place where he could never find them again. He raised his gun to fire it at Max, and suddenly there was chaos… **

**Michael was the first to react, quickly getting off a blast of energy that melted the gun in Pierce's hand before he could fire it. But when he tried to blast Pierce, nothing happened. Max tried, too, with the same result. It seemed that the granolith was preventing them, in some way, from any further blasting inside the chamber, probably to protect the chamber and those inside it. It also appeared to be preventing Pierce from using his backup weapon against Max. Though he pulled the trigger several times, nothing happened. Michael's first thought, after disarming Pierce and seeing that his backup had failed, was to get Max to safety. Quickly, he shoved Max toward the granolith… "GO, MAX! GO! Get out of here! Take the granolith!"**

**Max shook his head and looked at Liz, then he looked back at Michael, his head filled with uncertainty… "We all need to stay together… We can fight him together."**

**"GO!" Michael insisted, shoving Max into the granolith, "Come back for us when you can!"**

**The granolith began to glow and pulsate with colors, and Pierce, seeing his number one trophy getting away, momentarily lost all semblance of sanity… **

**"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **

**With one long, hysterical cry of rage and frustration, Pierce rushed forward and leapt, hitting Max with his outstretched hands and sending him tumbling backwards out of the granolith; but at that same moment, the granolith, unable to stop a reaction that had already begun, became solid. For a brief moment, everyone saw Pierce's hands and face, pressed against the inside of the granolith, like a caged animal wanting out. Then the granolith shot skyward… with Pierce in it.**

**Pierce slumped to the floor, uncertain what lay ahead, not knowing where he was going or what would become of him. Throughout the brief journey, he remained that way, never speaking… and rarely moving… in shock.**

**When Pierce had first entered the chamber, the granolith's immediate impulse had been to destroy him. But it had discovered that it was unable to do so. It scanned and recalibrated its systems internally and tried again. Still, it was unable to harm Pierce, whom it considered little more than a dangerous parasite now that he was onboard and heading toward Antar. Searching for a reason for this strange malfunction, the granolith discovered that Pierce registered as having royal DNA. The granolith repeatedly ran assays to prove or disprove this surprising new data, but was unable to disprove it. Every single assay registered royal DNA coming from Pierce's body… and not just any royal DNA… but Max's DNA. **

**The granolith "knew," on the one hand, that the man sitting on the floor inside it was not Max, nor even a royal at all… but on the other hand, its own security system, a system designed to protect the royals, refused to act against Pierce; and, even more incomprehensibly, it had prevented Michael and Max from harming Pierce in the chamber and continued to identify Pierce as Antarian royalty. The granolith was not configured to think in exactly the same terms that we do, but this conundrum… this internal struggle between its security system and its higher "brain…" was enough to give it a meltdown. To protect itself, it ultimately accepted Pierce… though somewhere in the guts of its system… it still refused to believe it.**

**Once on Antar, the walls of the granolith became permeable again, as the forces that had held everything inside it subsided and then ceased. Realizing that he was free to leave, Pierce jumped out; then, with only a cursory glance back, he ran.**

**That was the last the granolith saw of Pierce until almost three months later, when he showed up with a team of Antarians and ordered them to build a containment unit around the "machine" to contain its powers. Incomprehensibly, at the same time he was ordering them to "contain" the granolith's powers, he was claiming to be receiving protection and power from the granolith. But for whatever reason, his orders were carried out without question. Almost certainly, the Antarians knew that nothing they built around the granolith would be able to contain its powers, but no one told Pierce this. Perhaps they didn't dare to. Once the building was finished, Pierce left again, and that was the last time the granolith saw him.**

**As the images faded, Max dropped Liz and Maria's hands, and everyone looked at him… a hundred questions swirling around in their minds…**

**"So Pierce never planned to come to Antar at all then; it was an accident," Liz said… "But that doesn't explain where he's getting his powers from… and why does the granolith's security system think he has royal DNA… your DNA, Max?"**

**"Exactly," Max agreed, nodding. "Those are questions the granolith does not have answers to. His powers did not come from the granolith. The granolith never attacked us. His powers are coming from somewhere else."**

**"We need to find out where," Michael said emphatically.**

**Max nodded… "Agreed. Any ideas?"**

**"Isabel could dream walk him," Kyle suggested, "When he's asleep."**

**Max nodded and looked at Isabel. "It might work, but we can't be sure that he would tell Isabel anything, either, even in his dreams."**

**"It's worth a try," Michael said.**

**Max nodded again. "If it doesn't work, nothing will have been lost. Isabel? Are you up to it?"**

**Isabel nodded. "Sure. I'll do it."**

**"You're not worried about violating his privacy or something?" Maria asked.**

**"It's Pierce," Isabel retorted, "I'm not worried about it."**

**The group went about their usual duties until Pierce had gone to sleep later that evening, then Isabel got comfortable in one of the big easy chairs in the ship's lounge and concentrated. Shortly, she entered into a fog-like state, and then she saw Pierce. He was pacing back and forth in his dream.**

**"A penny for your thoughts," Isabel said innocently, walking up behind him. **

**Pierce swung around, surprised by Isabel's sudden appearance, seemingly out of nowhere… "Where did you come from?" **

**He looked her over for a moment then looked back at the wall… "I already told you I have nothing to say to any of you… that includes you."**

**"You're not telling them," Isabel agreed, "This is a dream. I'm only here in your dream." Technically, Isabel told the truth; she was, after all, only there in his dream. Pierce looked at her again and seemed to think about it… "Dream or not, I'm not telling you anything."**

**"Everybody needs somebody to talk to," Isabel insisted, "Even you. I guess that's why you're dreaming about me… or is there some other reason?"**

**"No! No… No, there's not… Besides, I don't need anybody to talk to," Pierce replied adamantly, "I'm quite self-sufficient."**

**"I know," Isabel said, "But you didn't intend to come to this planet. You were trapped in the alien machine. And you don't speak their crazy alien language. You have to treat the aliens like children to get them to understand plain English…"**

**"How do you know… oh, right, you're a figment of my imagination… what was it that Ebenezer Scrooge said… a piece of undigested food…"**

**"A Christmas Carol," Isabel said, nodding at the reference to Scrooge when he was confronted by Bob Marley's ghost. "Do you think that's what I am… a stomach ache… a bad dream?"**

**Pierce looked at Isabel again and sighed… "Well, you may be, but if I had to look at one of you, I guess…"**

**"Yes?"**

**"Never mind."**

**"You think I'm sexy?"**

**Pierce seemed to fortify himself… "You're a damned alien. You can make yourself look like anything. You may even be a guy… with three eyes and a forked tongue… if I saw your real appearance!"**

**Isabel smiled and shook her head. "I'm a figment of your imagination… a piece of undigested food, remember? I am only what you see."**

**Pierce looked at Isabel again and seemed to relax. "You're right. You're only whatever I dream that you are. You look like her… but you're just what's in my mind… nothing more." **

**Isabel sat down on the floor and put her arms around her knees, as she watched Pierce pace; then suddenly, he stopped and looked at her again…**

**"How am I going to get back to earth?"**

**Isabel smiled. "That is a problem. It's easy to fool these stupid aliens and make them believe that the granolith is protecting you and giving you its power and that it's going to take you home again when you're ready, but to do it, you have to learn how to actually control the, uh… the machine yourself."**

**"Exactly," Pierce acknowledged, as though he were talking to himself, "I have to find out how to control that damned alien machine. The problem is, none of these idiots seems to know how to do it themselves."**

**"Lord knows, you've tried to make them tell you," Isabel said.**

**"I have," Pierce nodded, "I've tortured them, dissected them, threatened them, locked up their families and threatened them…"**

**"But they don't seem to know anything," Isabel said for him.**

**"No," Pierce replied, "That's why I need Max. He will know how to control the machine. It was made to respond to him."**

**"That's why you wanted the machine to think you were him… why you tricked it with his DNA," Isabel said.**

**Pierce nodded. "It was a brilliant plan. It should have worked. I think it would have if I hadn't got trapped in the machine."**

**"It was brilliant," Isabel agreed, stroking Pierce's ego.**

**A smile tugged at the corner of Pierce's lips, and he began to unbutton his shirt. For a moment, Isabel got ready to cancel the dream walk, but instead of doing what she thought he might be going to do, he looked down at his side. There was a scar… like an appendix scar… and he was looking at it almost admiringly…**

**"That was probably the most brilliant thing I've ever done in my life!" **

**Pierce seemed to caress the ten-inch-long scar as he spoke, as though it were something he was supremely proud of. Isabel was desperate to ask questions, but as a "figment of Pierce's imagination," she would already know everything. She would have to get him to tell her while pretending to know all the answers already.**

**"You sacrificed a lot to save your planet."**

**"I did," Pierce agreed, nodding proudly. "Do you know what it's like knowing that there's a piece of filthy alien inside my own body? But it was worth it."**

**Isabel recoiled, for a moment fighting the urge to gag, but then she managed to regain her self-control… if only tenuously. **

**"It was worth it," she repeated, keeping her hand near her mouth in case she threw up… which she feared she might do even if this was only a dream walk.**

**"Damned right," Pierce said, "And I'd do it all over again."**

**"Even though it's a piece of… that one… that alien," Isabel added, hoping Pierce would keep talking and fill in the details.**

**Pierce nodded. "It had to be him. He was the leader… the king. The alien machine would recognize his DNA."**

**"Max," Isabel gasped.**

**"Yes." Pierce grinned a slight grin, as he caressed the scar again… "A part of him is inside me." **

**Isabel's mind was reeling. She had a million questions, but she didn't know how to ask them.**

**"But… Max was there… when you were trapped in the granolith… and he was okay."**

**Pierce nodded. "He got away from me the first time, in the white room, but I got a piece of him… a very small piece of an organ that humans don't have. I had it surgically implanted in me, and it grew. Now it's full size… the size the original was in him. I assume his body regenerated the missing portion as well. I've been following Max for a long time, and finally, I found the machine… the source of their alien powers."**

**"The… ? right," Isabel agreed, knowing that the granolith was not the source of their powers. But it did explain why the granolith detected Max's DNA in Pierce… and why its security system would not allow Pierce to be harmed. For several moments, Isabel sat in silence, trying to digest the things she had just heard, as Pierce stared at the wall, his mind far away from these quarters.**

**"They would be surprised if they knew how you actually got your powers," Isabel said, pressing Pierce further and hoping to get more information.**

**Pierce looked at the floor then at Isabel and grinned slightly. "They would, wouldn't they! But they'll never know. Nor will the aliens on this planet. They believe that the machine is protecting me, and that keeps them scared… it keeps them from revolting and attacking me. They're all so freakin' in awe of that machine. Whoever controls it controls everything. If they knew my powers didn't come from their god-machine, I'd be overrun like a grasshopper covered with fire ants. They'd tear me apart."**

**"The… 'machine' is not a god," Isabel said, "And Antarians are usually pretty peaceful. Maybe you misjudged them." **

**Pierce shook his head. "The ones who know me won't be so peaceful. That is a fact of which I am absolutely certain. They must continue to believe that I control the power of the machine. As long as they believe that, they will do anything for me… no matter the consequences. Children… that's all they are. You have to deal with them with a strong hand."**

**Isabel closed her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Children…" the word was not totally inaccurate. Antarians who had to deal with the likes of Pierce might seem like children. Compared to his evil, their innocence was childlike. Kivar had taken a lot of that innocence away already, of course… But why would anyone do the things that Pierce had done to peaceful people… to "children?" She wondered if even Pierce could answer that. Then again… she was sure that in his sick mind he had dozens of "good" reasons. **

**"It was brilliant how you got your powers," Isabel said, trying again to coax Pierce into revealing the real source of his abilities.**

**Pierce sighed, appearing to have tired of the discussion, but for whatever reason he replied anyway, perhaps because it served his ego…**

**"Brilliant… well, I suppose it was. Actually, it was a little random luck coupled with my knowing what to do with it. But I guess that's brilliance, right? These two freaks who looked like you… like the Evans girl, Isabel, I mean… and like Guerin… came to see me. 'We share a common goal,' they said. I said 'What's that?' They said, 'the eradication of some aliens that are claiming to be us… We're the real humans whose forms they stole… the two of us and four of our friends.' They named the aliens who took their forms: Max and Isabel Evans, Michael Guerin, Tess Harding, Liz Parker, and Maria DeLuca."**

**Isabel gasped. "Liz and Maria?"**

**Pierce nodded. "I know. They're human. I figured that out. At one time, though, I thought they might be aliens, too, because they sold out to the aliens… joined forces with them, which is just as bad, actually… maybe worse. Anyway, the two freaks said that they were the real humans, and I told them I didn't believe them."**

**"You did?"**

**"I told them they should look like humans if they're gonna claim to be humans," Pierce said, smiling at his own joke… "They were just freaks, though… gang types, you know… heavy Brooklyn accents, crazy hair, lots of piercings, that kind of stuff." **

**"Oh."**

**Pierce waved it off as just a joke. "Anyway, the one that looked like Guerin… Rath, I think he called himself… Must've been his gang name… says that they learned a lot of things about the aliens while they were abducted by them. He told me about the alien machine… and that information turned out to be accurate. They didn't know where it was, though. Another thing they learned from their abductors was that there are these 'caretakers' on the aliens' planet who are in charge of caring for the alien machine when the king or some other royal isn't using it, and these caretakers have some pretty amazing powers of their own. I filed that information away for future reference, but I didn't think I'd ever use it. You see, you never know about these things. Who knew that I would get trapped in that infernal machine and wind up here, right? So, anyway, their information turned out to be useful again. As soon as I got here, I went looking for these 'caretakers,' and I find this big shot guy named Kivar running everything. So I make friends with him… get into his graces. He thinks I control the machine, because I arrived here in it, and only I know where it is, so he keeps me around and tries to use me to find it. But that was okay, because I was using him, too, and the first chance I got, I took over and knocked him off.**

**After that, I took some carpenters back to where I had left the machine and had them build a strong containment building around it to keep the caretakers from getting in and using its powers. After I isolated their machine, they sort of found me, which was real convenient. It wasn't much trouble to find their weaknesses. They all had families. I locked up their families and dissected a couple of Kivar's guards in front of them, and right away they're doing whatever I say. Our powers are your powers. I'm not sure how they knew what I wanted, but they always did. All I ever had to do was wave my hand and it would send someone flying."**

**Pierce suddenly frowned and turned serious… "But they betrayed me. The powers are gone now. Those powers and the belief that I controlled the machine were the only things that protected me here and kept me on top. I need to get those powers back. I need to get out of here and find the caretakers."**

**"If you found them and killed them, you would lose their powers permanently," Isabel pointed out logically, "It would be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg."**

**Pierce scoffed. "Who said anything about killing them? There are other ways… they have families…"**

**Isabel understood all too well. They had to be absolutely certain that Pierce never got back into power here on Antar, whatever it took.**

**Pierce took a deep breath and became very quiet, having apparently decided that he did not want to talk to Isabel anymore… even if it was about his favorite subject… himself. Then, with a sudden sigh, he turned and looked at Isabel with a new look in his eyes… "Maybe I do need to find more pleasant ways to occupy my dreams." **

**Scanning Isabel's body with his eyes, Pierce began to unbutton his shirt again, and this time, Isabel did not think that showing her his scar was what he had in mind. She stood up quickly and brushed herself off…**

**"Dream's over!" **

**And with a quick wave, she simply went 'poof' and vanished, leaving a frustrated and very confused Pierce alone with his desires.**

**888888888888888888888888**

**"Iz, there's only so much hot water on the ship! You've been in there for almost an hour!"**

**"I've earned this hot water, Alex! I don't think any amount of hot water is ever going to make me feel clean again. If you want to help, grab a bar of soap."**

**Alex smiled and obliged, picking up a bar of floral-scented beauty soap and stepping into the shower with Isabel, though he was fully dressed.**

**"I don't think you need to look any more beautiful, Iz." Alex put his arms around Isabel from behind and went through the motions of helping her bathe… "If you were any more beautiful, you would be a danger to all mankind… a bigger danger, I mean, than you already are."**

**Isabel smiled then turned around in Alex's arms, facing him, and gazing deeply into the eyes that adored her, not the ones that merely lusted after her, although Alex did that, too. "Hold me tight, Alex. It's not the soap I needed… it's you. You make me feel right again."**

**Isabel pressed her lips passionately to Alex's, and he responded. As the water poured over their heads, Alex's clothes, already thoroughly soaked, clung to him like saran wrap, and his shoes made little squishing sounds as his toes curled and uncurled with delight… but neither of them seemed to notice.**

**End of Chapter 29**

**tbc…**


	31. Chapter 30

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Real King **

**Chapter 30**

**XXX**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Max, Michael, Liz, and Maria approached the house of Shyubn-Sing, who was generally acknowledged to be the leader of the Caretakers, though officially the Caretakers were all equals and had no leader. Max looked at Michael, and Michael nodded. Then with a last look around, Max turned and lifted his hand, but before he had a chance to knock, the door opened and a man stood facing them… **

**The man was very old and had a kindly appearance, but he appeared strong, and Max was surprised to see that he was also, quite clearly, blind. His eyes were fogged over and pupiless… but oddly, they seemed to "stare" at Max, then at Michael, then at Liz and Maria, for several long moments. Finally, the old man smiled ever so slightly… **

**"I knew you were on Antar. Come in."**

**Max looked at Michael then back at the old Caretaker, as the four of them entered the house… **

**"You know who we are?" **

**"Yes. You are the king… Zan… and his General and friend, Rath."**

**"How did you…?" Michael started to ask, but the old man waved his hand dismissively… "There are far more dependable ways to see than with the eyes. The eyes can deceive."**

**"Well, they don't always give us the whole story," Michael agreed, "I would have sworn that you were blind. But obviously you're not."**

**The old Caretaker nodded. "These eyes are blind, but you are correct… I see more than most men will ever see, only not in the way they do."**

**"Blindness can be healed here on Antar," Max said with deep concern in his voice. I may be able to heal you myself…"**

**Max reached out toward the old Caretaker, but the old man stepped back… then he laughed loudly. "You cannot heal what is not sick or injured or broken, Zan. Long ago, I traded my eyes for another kind of sight. These eyes are no longer needed, so they atrophied, as any part of our bodies will do if it is no longer used."**

**"And you don't miss seeing… I mean, with your eyes?" Michael asked.**

**The old Caretaker shook his head. "If one has learned to run with the wind, does he miss crawling on his knees, as he once did when he was a baby? I have no need of eyes. I see far more than my eyes ever imagined."**

**"Did you see Pierce for what he really was?" Michael asked, blurting out the question suddenly… and perhaps a bit bluntly… as was sometimes his habit. **

**Max smiled. "The General has a way of getting right to the point. He's not much one for small talk, I'm afraid. But that is the question that is on all our minds."**

**The old man nodded. "Sometimes… it is a good thing to be direct. That way there is no confusion about one's intentions. By 'Pierce,' of course, you mean the one who arrived in the granolith and took the throne from Kivar…"**

**"Yes," Max, Michael, Liz, and Maria all said at once.**

**The old Caretaker nodded. "I did see him as he was. There was never any doubt. But he had the protection of the granolith…"**

**"But you're the Caretaker," Michael said quickly, "You control the granolith. It won't hurt you."**

**"I am one of the Caretakers, yes," the old man corrected, "And I do control the granolith. All that is true. But we had to find out more about this person you call Pierce. He had… the royal sign."**

**Michael looked at Max questioningly and noticed that Max looked shocked… "Royal sign? You mean, like, the V symbol… of Antar?"**

**The old man nodded.**

**"I didn't see that on Pierce," Michael said, thinking back to all the times he had seen Pierce since coming to this Antar.**

**"Neither did I," Maria agreed, "If Pierce had the V of Antar anywhere on him, I would have seen it. And I know Isabel would have seen it when she was in there with him trying to get him to talk… and she would have told us."**

**Liz nodded, agreeing with Maria.**

**"I have to admit, I never noticed any trace of the sign of Antar on Pierce either," Max said.**

**The old Caretaker sighed… "It would not have been visible to your eyes… or to any normal eyes… but it was there, I assure you. I see what you do not."**

**"So you've told us," Michael said a bit bluntly, "But that doesn't explain how Pierce could have the royal symbol on him. Where did you see it on him?"**

**"Ah, you see…" the old Caretaker said with a bit of a smile, "That is the mistake that you make, because it is the way your eyes see things… always in a particular place… on a hand or on the chest or on the forehead. But if you were able to see with real sight you would see it everywhere."**

**"Pierce had the royal symbol everywhere on him?" Michael asked, not trying to mask his doubt.**

**The old man nodded. "Eventually, it would have become visible even to eyes such as yours."**

**"It must have something to do with the piece of that organ he took from you, Max… from your double in this dimension, that is," Michael said, trying to think of any possible explanation. **

**Max thought about it then shook his head. What Pierce took, I suspect, was a piece of the gorian duct, the dasna'va. Humans don't have it. But the dasna'va has nothing at all to do with the royal symbol or our powers. Pierce tricked the granolith because he had some of my double's DNA."**

**"No, but Max…" Liz said, as an idea ran through her mind, "What if what Pierce took was actually the upper chamber of the torsgol'dor, the sthenic substernum?"**

**"The what?" Michael asked.**

**"It's the back part of the jiban'golt, the substernum maxima, a small organ that Antarians have in the upper abdomen, behind the sternum."**

**"It is?"**

**Liz nodded. "You don't know what the jiban'golt is?"**

**Michael rolled his eyes. "Well, of course I know that… but what's this sthenic substernum… tors- thing… whatever… that you're talking about?"**

**"Well, you see," Liz said, placing her hands close together to indicate a small organ, "It's the back portion of the substernum maxima, the jiban'golt. Most Antarians don't think about the fact that the substernum maxima is actually several independent organs that are fused together into one…"**

**"Yeah… okay… so…" Michael said, nodding.**

**"Well, see, the sthenic substernum is attached to the back of the substernum maxima and is considered to be part of the substernum maxima, but it has its own functions, and one of its functions is thought to be amplification of some types of Antarian powers."**

**"I think I heard that somewhere before," Michael said, nodding, "Yeah, I did. So you think that could be what Pierce got, part of Max's ssss… ssss… sthenic… you know… substernum thing? It would be hard to get to. It's not really easily accessible."**

**"I know, but it could be," Liz said, nodding, "But think about this… at the top of the sthenic substernum, there is a small chamber called the vars'tya, or in more professional terms, the 'superior regulum.'"**

**"I'll take your word for it," Michael said, turning and looking at Max. Max shrugged.**

**"I won't go into the exact functions of the vars'tya," Liz said, continuing, "But in Antarians in general, it's what's known as a recessive organ, an organ without a purpose, kind of like… well… men's breasts… except that within the royal family, and the king in particular, it's well-developed."**

**"Max has well-developed breasts?" Michael asked, his eyes widening.**

**"Nooooo," Liz sighed, "Move beyond the breasts, Michael. I'm talking about the superior regulum… the vars'tya. It's a recessive organ in most Antarians, but in the king… and some members of the royal family… and in you, too, Michael… it's well developed… Only more so in Max."**

**"And I would know this?" Michael asked. "Did you know this Max?"**

**"I heard it somewhere," Max admitted. "I had forgotten. It's not everyday information or something we talk about at the table over dinner."**

**"You've been hanging around Varec and his scientist friends at the lab too much," Michael said, turning back to Liz again, "Their penchant for finding useless scientific trivia is rubbing off on you."**

**Liz sighed. "It's your bodies. You should know these things."**

**"Yeah, well, do you know what the prothorax is in your body?" Michael retorted.**

**Liz nodded. "It's the first segment… of an INSECT… the segment that the first pair of legs are attached to."**

**Michael grinned a bit sheepishly… "Right… yeah… that's… what it was. I was just checking."**

**"I see where Liz is coming from, Michael," Max said, "She could have a point. If Pierce cut off a small part of the sthenic substernum and happened to take the portion that contained the superior regulum, it's possible that he may have more than just the royal DNA. He may also, conceivably, have been given other powers that he doesn't even know he has… including the power to display the royal symbol of Antar."**

**Liz nodded. "That's what I was trying to say."**

**"So the four of you are from a different dimension…" the old Caretaker asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. "I knew there was something different about you. And these girls are your wives…"**

**Max smiled and put his arm around Liz. Then Michael put his arm around Maria, too.**

**The old man nodded, and his face took on all the look of a wizened sage. "I would keep them if I were you. You need them."**

**Liz looked at Maria, and both girls grinned, but neither one said anything. **

**Michael shrugged… then he smiled… **

**"I know that. That's one thing I do know."**

**Max nodded.**

**The Caretaker smiled slightly then resumed where the conversation had left off… "The man that is called Pierce was told that the Caretakers have great powers, so the first thing he did when he arrived on Antar was look for the one in charge, Kivar, then look for us. He sought to control us."**

**"Rath and Lonnie told him that… back on earth," Michael said. "Rath and Lonnie are… well, they're kind of hard to explain…"**

**"Defective duplicates of yourself and Vilandra," the old Caretaker said for him. **

**Michael looked surprised, but the Caretaker just smiled… "I told you, I see things that normal eyes do not."**

**"You must have psychic powers, too, then," Michael said, impressed.**

**The Caretaker shrugged. "You might consider it that, but it is only sight… sight that you do not understand. Unfortunately, we did NOT foresee the depth of depravity of the one called Pierce or that he would threaten our families in the way that he did."**

**"And so you cooperated with him," Michael said. But then he looked at the old man sympathetically, "It's… okay… I understand. I'm not blaming you. We all know what Pierce is capable of… and what he would do to your families if you didn't cooperate."**

**"Actually, we did not cooperate with him," the Caretaker said, "We merely allowed him to believe that his powers were coming from us. It was better that he believe that than that he realize the truth… that he had powers himself."**

**Max and Michael both nodded, in total agreement.**

**"But he lost his powers," Maria pointed out. "After we captured him, he no longer had any powers. He believes that you betrayed him."**

**The Caretaker smiled. "In the presence of your Zan, who also has the sign of the royal house, even though it is of a different dimension, Pierce's powers were not strong enough, and they shut down… though probably only temporarily." The Caretaker thought for a moment… "It is likely, as Liz said, that Pierce took the portion of the torsgol'dor that contains the vars'tya, though he probably had no idea what he was taking. If he did, then Pierce is now the legitimate heir to the throne of Antar… and our Zan no longer is. In that case, Pierce is the king of Antar… in this dimension."**

**Michael's jaw dropped and he shook his head vigorously… "That's a crock! Pierce can't be the king. I don't care what he's got in him."**

**"But he has the royal symbol…" the Caretaker said.**

**"I thought Pierce said that Max would regenerate the missing portion of that organ," Maria said, reminding everyone of what Isabel had told them after getting Pierce to talk to her.**

**"The torsgol'dor probably did regenerate," the Caretaker agreed, "But the superior regulum, the vars'tya, would not duplicate itself as long as it exists in another individual. If Pierce has it, then he is the king. It is as simple as that."**

**"Then we have to get it back!" Michael said emphatically.**

**The Caretaker nodded thoughtfully. "Of course, it would be treason to cooperate with someone who wanted to harm the legitimate king."**

**Michael glared at the old man unsympathetically, unbendable in his conviction, and clearly unwilling to waste any time trying to find ways to justify what he knew inside himself was right… "What does your superior vision tell you, Caretaker?" **

**The Caretaker smiled. "That there is greater sight than normal eyes are capable of… and greater cause than that bestowed by the mere possession of a vars'tya."**

**Michael nodded. "So you'll help us then?"**

**"I am loyal to the king," Shyubn-Sing said, "The true king… not the man called Pierce… though by some traditional laws he may now be our king. We will get the vars'tya back. Who will return it to Zan?"**

**"I'll take care of that," Max said. "I'll get it back to him… one way or the other."**

**"Whatever!" Michael exclaimed. "I just want it out of Pierce… and the sooner the better!"**

**"That's something we can all agree on," Maria said emphatically.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Max, Michael, Liz, and Maria arrived back on the New Granolith to find Jim, Kyle, Alex, and Isabel waiting for them. Usually, when Jim was waiting to meet them it meant that there had been some kind of security incident or that there was a serious and immediate threat of some possible security incident. Max looked at Jim and sighed.**

**"Sorry, Max," Jim said, reading his face, "I know it's not what you want to come back and hear, but…"**

**"It's okay, Jim. Just… lay it on me. Whatever it is, we'll take care of it."**

**"Pierce escaped," Alex said.**

**Max groaned, and Michael's face turned pale and then reddened. "How?" Michael exclaimed, "How could that happen? He was contained! How could he escape?"**

**"His powers came back," Isabel said. "We didn't see it coming. He grabbed me from behind and threatened to kill me if we didn't send him back down to the planet."**

**"Was anyone hurt?" Max asked, looking Isabel over.**

**Alex nodded. "Tess was… and Kyle. They tried to stop Pierce and free Isabel. Tess was the only one on the ship besides Isabel who might have had the power to stop him. With her down and Isabel unable to get at him, we had to do what Pierce wanted… We sent him back to the planet."**

**Max looked at Kyle, but Kyle held his hand up… "I'm okay. Don't worry about me. Go take care of Tess."**

**"Where is she?" Max asked, "What did he do to her?"**

**"In the recovery room," Isabel said shakily. "She was hit pretty hard by several blasts from Pierce, Max…" **

**In Isabel's eyes, Max saw deep concern, and he knew it was serious. He headed for the recovery room without waiting for any more details. The recovery room was the ship's hospital, but the crew had long ago decided to call it a "recovery room." The name had an upbeat, positive sound to it. And besides, with Max around to heal almost anything short of death or some incurable disease, it actually was, usually, more of a recovery room or treatment room than a true infirmary or hospital. **

**Max arrived quickly and walked in to find Tess lying on a bed, seriously injured and semi-conscious. Her husband, Rayylar, was at her side, holding her hand. Seeing Max walk in, Tess made a feeble effort to sit up, unsuccessfully.**

**"Don't try," Max said, taking her by the shoulders and laying her back down gently. "Just wait until I take care of your injuries."**

**"I'm… sorry… Max," Tess whispered, "I let him get away."**

**"You tried," Max said, as he passed his hands over Tess searching for injuries. "You did what you could. No one can fault you for that. I should have had someone watching Pierce 24/7, and Michael or I one should have been here… in case something like this…"**

**"It wasn't your fault, Max," Tess objected. "No one knew that Pierce would regain his powers. We need to find him and get him back."**

**"I'll take care of that, don't worry," Max said firmly, placing his hands back at his sides… "Try sitting up now."**

**Tess sat up carefully and then smiled. "That feels… definitely… better. I feel like I may actually live now."**

**Max smiled. "If you find any more injuries let me know. I think that took care of the main ones."**

**Tess nodded then held out her hand. The tip of her finger was burned, and the nail was broken and hanging. Standing beside Max, Liz grimaced involuntarily, though in actual fact, it was one of the smallest of Tess' injuries. Max touched it for a moment, then Tess looked at it and nodded…**

**"You have a future in cosmetology, Max. You do great nail repairs!"**

**Max rolled his eyes and smiled… "Well, let's keep it to ourselves, okay? I don't want to be known as the ship's manicurist."**

**Tess smiled and nodded, hopping off the table and into Rayylar's waiting arms. Rayylar kissed her. **

**"I think I'm going to need some more of your special therapy, Ray," Tess said, when she finally came back up for air.**

**Rayylar smiled and happily obliged.**

**"I'd better check on Kyle," Max said, turning back to Liz, "If I know him… and I do… he's hiding injuries he's not telling us about."**

**Liz nodded. **

**Back in the control room, Max and Liz found Kyle, who was still pretending that he was only slightly singed. The truth, as Max had suspected, was somewhat worse than that. Though Kyle was still on his feet and conscious… at least for now… Max discovered that he did have a serious injury… a deep abdominal contusion with internal bleeding caused by Pierce's blast. Fortunately, it was easily fixed, and Max took care of it. With Tess out of danger, Kyle no longer resisted Max's efforts to help him.**

**"Max, what happened? I thought the Caretakers had stopped letting Pierce use their powers."**

**Max nodded. "They did… I mean they never did… They never let him use their powers. Pierce has his own powers. He just doesn't know it. The Caretakers let him think they were cooperating with him so he wouldn't realize that he has powers himself."**

**"Oh, man…" Kyle shook his head and whistled. "That's gonna make things so much harder."**

**"Yeah… it is…" Max agreed. "The sooner we get down there and find him the better… before he finds out the truth and becomes a real monster."**

**"Becomes?" Kyle chided. "What do you mean 'becomes?'"**

**"A real… bigger monster," Max corrected. "But we may have an even greater problem, Kyle… Pierce may be the legitimate king of Antar now."**

**"What?" Kyle stopped and looked at Max as though he had lost his mind… "That's not possible, Max! You've got to have that V thing with… with the stars in it, like you have, to be the king."**

**Max nodded. "Well, apparently, Pierce has it."**

**Kyle stood for a moment with his mouth open, staring at Max in dismay.**

**"Don't ask me to explain it, Kyle… It's too complicated."**

**"If Pierce were to get killed… I mean really wiped out… would he still have the symbol, Max?"**

**Max smiled. "I don't know, Kyle… but thanks for the thought. Don't forget that he's got powers, though, and you don't. You'd better let Michael and me catch him."**

**"Yeah, well, catching him wasn't what I had in mind."**

**"I know."**

**Max and Kyle walked a little further together and came across Liz again, then they found Michael and Maria, and together the five of them returned to the planet's surface, but they found no trace of Pierce. In fact, it was four days later before anyone from the New Granolith saw Pierce again; and when they did, they knew that the worst had happened… Pierce knew. Somehow, he had figured out on his own that the powers he was exhibiting were not coming from the Caretakers but were coming from within himself… and he could not have been more delighted. In fact, "delighted" barely described it. It was safe to say that Pierce had become drunk with his own power, using it at the drop of a pin to intimidate… and to kill. In four short days, he had gone from being a virtual unknown on Antar, except among a select few, to being the talk of the planet. Word spread like wildfire from one side of the capitol to the other and to all the provinces. Pierce was no longer a question mark. He was a despot… a very dangerous and hated despot. **

**Pierce himself had no intention of being a leader at all… in any sense of the word, good or bad. Having discovered that he had powers the likes of which he had never dreamed, he decided to use them to finish the job he had begun… the job of eradicating the alien "plague" here at its source… however long it might take. Pierce felt a new confidence, both in his own powers and in his ability to control the granolith. He was fairly certain, now, that once the "aliens" were all destroyed he would be able to return to earth in the granolith… that he had the power to control it… and that the granolith was his to control.**

**Of course, drunk though he was with his own power, Pierce did know that wiping out all the "aliens" on a planet would take longer than was feasible for any one person. He did not expect to kill them all one by one, though he no longer hesitated to kill any that got in his way… and often just for fun. No, he would come up with a more efficient way… one that would allow him to shorten the job, killing thousands, or tens of thousands, at once. Then he could return to earth a hero. The thought elated Pierce, puffed him up with delusions of grandeur… and gave him visions of his own place in the history books. He saw himself as a sort of space age George Washington… forging a new beginning for earth, one in which earth was forevermore safe from invasion from space. His crossing over to Antar would be celebrated in writings, in songs, even in paintings… like Washington crossing the Delaware. The name "Pierce" would become a household word… loved and adored by all school children, who would study about his life in school for thousands of years to come.**

**It was with these thoughts of grandeur running through his head that Pierce walked out of the fortified "situations" building on the grounds of the CoruzAntar Spaceport, where he had been hiding out since escaping from the New Granolith, and found himself suddenly face to face with his greatest enemy, Max Evans. And Max was not alone. With him were Michael, Liz, Maria, and Kyle. They had found him. It might have seemed that that would be the end of it. Certainly, Pierce's newfound powers were not a match for either Max's or Michael's powers, much less both of them together. In fact, though Pierce didn't know it, Liz or Maria either one could have put a serious hurt on him. So could Kyle, given a fair chance. This Liz and Maria, and this Kyle, had grown in their abilities over the years they had lived on Antar in their own dimension. But one thing one could never do was underestimate Pierce or his sheer deviousness. He had planned for this encounter, and he was ready.**

**Pierce had figured out that in Max's presence, the last time, his own powers had failed him. He wanted to make sure that that did not happen again. He had practiced, honing his own powers to make them stronger, but he had not left his fate hanging in that precarious balance alone. He had developed contingencies… several of them… just in case. And he had done what he was so well known for… He had tested actual living Antarians with similar powers to his in the lab over the last four days to determine their weaknesses and strengths. Pierce had left nothing at all to chance.**

**"You're trapped, Pierce… Give it up," yelled Kyle. "We're taking you back to the ship. I recommend you come peacefully."**

**"You're a traitor to your kind, Kyle! You're human. You don't belong with these aliens. If you come over to my side now, I may let you live."**

**"Oh, like I'm going to trust you! I'd sooner trust a wild pawgor!"**

**"Suit yourself, Kyle. I didn't really want to take you back with me alive anyway. You're a traitor. So's your father, the sheriff. Why should I share the glory with traitors? Killing the two of you will be a service to humanity."**

**"You're a sick man, Pierce!"**

**"You're right! Sick of your kind, Valenti! Go ahead. Give it your best shot! You want me. Come get me!"**

**"Maybe I will."**

**"Kyle," Max cautioned, holding Kyle back, "Pierce has something up his sleeve. He doesn't just invite people to come get him unless he has a plan. Don't stick your neck out unnecessarily."**

**"Somebody's got to take him down, Max. It might as well be me. I'm as fit as he is… more so, probably."**

**"Maybe so," Max said, "But you're not as devious as he is. Just wait. Let's use caution. That is Pierce we're talking about."**

**Kyle sighed. "You're right. I just want to take this guy down so bad."**

**"We all do, Kyle," Michael said. "And we will… together."**

**The five friends stood facing Pierce from about fifty feet away for several minutes, and apparently that was long enough for Pierce. Pierce knew that he had all his bases covered, and he knew that he had the upper hand, even if he was outnumbered, and he was tiring of waiting for someone to make the first move. If they wouldn't do it, he would. Without warning, Pierce suddenly raised his hand and made a flinging motion that sent a wave of energy flying in the direction of the group. Kyle saw it coming and hit the ground, and Liz and Maria sidestepped it just in time. Max and Michael saw it coming, too, and together, they raised their hands and created a barrier of energy that stopped Pierce's blast in its tracks, though not a moment too soon. **

**The others started to regroup, but just as they did, something hit them from above like a hammer. **

**"What the hey!" Kyle exclaimed, as he was knocked to the ground and rolled into Michael, who had also been knocked over, along with Max, Liz, and Maria.**

**"I think he created some kind of overloop blast," Max said, quickly getting back onto his feet. "It wasn't powerful enough to hurt us, just knock us off our feet. But we were caught off guard. We're going to have to be more wary. We don't know what he's capable of. We could have been killed just now if he had been able to produce a stronger overloop."**

**By now, everyone was back on their feet and facing Pierce again. So far, Pierce had allowed his blasting powers to do all the work for him. And apparently he had more where that had come from and wasn't ready to give up, because suddenly his hand flew up again, and this time a series of blasts flew from the palm of his hand, several of them heading toward each of the five members of the group. Nobody had time to duck this time. Max and Michael shot back, stopping his blasts once more from hitting them and stopping some of the blasts intended for the others… but not all of them. Liz stopped one herself and was grazed by another one that she hit but didn't deflect far enough. Maria deflected one and was hit by another, which knocked her to the ground, stunning her. Kyle slowed two shots down that were headed at him and managed to diffuse them, weakening them considerably, but he failed to stop either of them completely and was hit by both of them. Max and Michael deflected the rest. No one was seriously injured, but this was not turning out to be the cakewalk that had been expected. And Pierce was only getting started. So far, he had not even touched any of his "contingency plans."**

**And that was about to change.**

**As the five friends helped each other back onto their feet, Michael noticed something in Pierce's hand. It looked like a gun. For a moment, Michael wondered if Pierce intended to try to shoot them, and he prepared to blast the gun out of Pierce's hand, as Max prepared to stop any bullets that he might get off. But there were no bullets. Neither Max nor any of the others saw anything leave the gun, but something did… an invisible beam of energy. They felt nothing, but when Michael tried to blast the gun out of Pierce's hand, he felt weaker than normal… and Pierce still had the gun in his hand. Max tried to blast the gun from Pierce's hand, too, and he, too, felt weakened.**

**"What did he do to us, Max?" Michael asked.**

**Max shook his head. "I don't know. Just guessing, I'd say he's found a form of energy that feeds off of our energy, weakening us. We can't allow him to use it on us again."**

**"I'm not sure we can stop him, Max," Michael said, raising his hand and sending a blast of energy toward Pierce. But he could see instantly that it was too weak and too diffused to be effective. As it slowed down, Liz added her own energy to Michael's. The blast regained strength and crashed into Pierce's hand, melting the gun and knocking it from his hand.**

**"Way to go, Liz!" Kyle said, impressed. **

**"We need to all pool our energy together," Max said. "Liz has the right idea. Each of us is weaker than normal, but together we're still strong."**

**The five raised their hands together and prepared to blast Pierce, who had already created an energy barrier around himself for protection. A combined burst of energy flowed from Max and the others who were with him, striking Pierce, whose shield fluctuated momentarily. For a few seconds, they all held their breaths, as the shield flickered, almost failing; then it appeared that it might restrengthen, but at that moment, another blast of energy struck Pierce, one that had not come from any of the five. Then yet another bolt of energy struck him from out of the blue, bringing down his shield completely and knocking him to the ground. The look on Pierce's face was one of utter dismay and disbelief, but the look on the faces of the five friends was one of almost equal surprise. In the flurry of energy blasts going back and forth, nobody had noticed the arrival of a small, outdated ship on the far side of the spaceport. But now everyone watched as six previously unseen people approached them. **

**The leader looked Max over and shook his head as he stood facing him… **

**"I'll let you explain who you are later. I'm assuming that since Pierce wanted you dead, you're good guys, even if you do look like another set of dupes."**

**"We're definitely good guys," Liz said. "I think I can explain everything. We're not from your dimension. We came here by accident. That's why we look like you… because we are you… just… from a different dimension. We're not dupes or anything, just interdimensional travelers.**

**The leader nodded, looking Liz over and then looking at the girl who stood beside him holding his hand. "You could be twins."**

**Liz couldn't resist smiling. She felt undeniably flattered that this younger Max thought she still looked like her younger double. And as she gazed at the younger Max, she realized that she was witnessing his arrival on Antar for the very first time, something she had missed experiencing with her own Max.**

**Max nodded. "I guess you are both Liz. Well… this is definitely going to be interesting!" Then turning to Max from the New Granolith, he grinned… "So you're me, huh!"**

**Max shrugged. "It would appear so. We weren't expecting you. How did you get here?"**

**"We took one of Kivar's old ships that he left on earth."**

**Max nodded. "Probably the same one Kyle and I left earth in way back in the beginning… in our dimension. I thought you had lost your powers, though!"**

**The other Max smiled. "Where did you hear that?"**

**"Pierce told us… well, he told Isabel… that he took a piece of an organ from you, and we figured out that it was the superior regulum because when Pierce put the piece in himself it gave him powers… and he had the royal sign."**

**The new Max nodded. "Well… I did lose some of my powers temporarily, but they came back."**

**"So the Caretaker was wrong," Michael said, shoving Pierce in front of him and tying him up tightly, "There CAN be two people with the vars'tya at the same time."**

**"Not really," Liz said, beginning to understand. "Max regained his powers, because he was the true king. Pierce may have stolen the powers for a while, but I'm willing to bet that he no longer has them since Max arrived. In the end, the king is still the king, and the would-be usurper is…"**

**"Dog meat," Michael said, tossing Pierce down between himself and his double, the Michael who had just arrived. "You're probably right, Liz, but I'm not taking any chances. Pierce is staying tied up this time."**

**Maria grinned. "Well, it's probably a good thing if Max did regenerate the part. This way he won't have to put the other one back inside himself after Pierce had it in him."**

**"Ewwww…" Liz laughed, agreeing with Maria. "You're right."**

**The newly arrived Max looked at Pierce and nodded. "I don't want it back. I'll happily regrow a new one, thank you."**

**"It would seem that you already did," Max from the New Granolith said with a grin… "Well! This is all an unexpected turn… Can we invite you to visit us in YOUR palace?"**

**The younger Max smiled and nodded. "Why not! We have no other social commitments for today… Our calendar, you could say, is open."**

**The others laughed.**

**"What are we going to do with Pierce?" Michael asked, "nudging" Pierce with his foot just enough to elicit a grimace.**

**"Call Jim. Have him take him back to the ship and put him in quarantine. We'll deal with him later."**

**Michael pulled Pierce up onto to his feet. "Come on, Superboy. We've got a nice kryptonite cell for you back on the ship. Then I guess you get a free ride back home. Not that I really like just letting you go free there either. But I can't exactly tell anyone that you committed crimes on another planet, and I can't just blow you up, as much as the idea appeals to me."**

**Pierce stared at Michael coldly, a sadistic sort of pseudo-smile on his lips, as Michael turned him over to Jim, who took him back to the ship. That evening, the group from the New granolith joined the new arrivals in the palace, which was conveniently vacant with Kivar and Pierce both gone now, and helped the new arrivals clean the place up. Pierce had been neat, in his own way, but his idea of decoration and entertainment left a lot to be desired. The dissection table in the royal bedroom, for example, had to go. The mattress was replaced… just because. And the families of the Caretakers, palace guards, and some other prominent Antarians were released from their "prison" rooms beneath the palace where they had been held. The rooms of the palace had never been intended to be prisons, but they were sturdy and inescapable… had anyone chosen to use them that way; and for Pierce, they had served that purpose well.**

**Two days after the new arrivals arrived on Antar, and one day before the New Granolith group had planned to return Pierce to earth, they discovered that Pierce had escaped again. The New Granolith crew immediately notified their doubles and offered to help recapture him, but the younger Max declined.**

**"Pierce can be dangerous… and unpredictable," Max from the ship warned. "You may need us. I really recommend you accept our help."**

**"Not this time," the younger Max replied. "We already found him."**

**"Is he restrained?" Michael from the ship asked.**

**"That won't be necessary," the younger Max said. "When we found him, he was surrounded by a mob of his victims' families. Their justice was… sort of… permanent and motivated. It was like… like…"**

**"Fire ants all over a grasshopper?" Isabel asked.**

**"Yeah… kind of… just like that. Interesting analogy. Why would you think of that?"**

**"Just something Pierce once said." **

**"So… Pierce is really…?" Max from the New Granolith asked hesitantly.**

**"Definitely. It's fortunate that I no longer need that part back, because it would be a little hard to find it at this point."**

**"Wow… Well… That does sort of solve a problem, doesn't it… in a way? I mean, you know… I guess we don't have to take him back to earth now."**

**"It might be hard to do."**

**"I don't suppose anybody there will really miss him. I guess he'll just be another disappeared agent. So… how are the Antarians treating you guys?"**

**"Like family," the younger Max said. "They've been wonderful! They suffered through Kivar and then they had to suffer under Pierce…"**

**"Yeah," Michael said, nodding… "They've had enough of despots and sadistic psychos. The Antarians are good people; they just wanted one thing, and when they found it they knew…"**

**Isabel smiled and nodded… **

**"Their real king… at last."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**End of Chapter 30**

**tbc…**


	32. Chapter 31

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Back In Space **

**Chapter 31**

**XXXI**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**>>>Two Months Later **

**The New Granolith and its crew were in their third day back in space again after leaving behind yet another Antar that was not their own. The truth is, when they came to new Antars these days, they didn't really expect them to be their own. But they hoped. They never gave up hope. The Antar that Pierce had sought to rule… and destroy… had been left behind nine Antars ago and was just one more memory among many on a long and weary quest to find the one Antar out of millions… perhaps out of billions… that was the right one… the one that they called home. **

**Maria stared through the dome of the observatory at the stars as they swept by in the darkness of space, and she nestled her head deeper into Michael's arms. The two were lying together on the oversized sofa that they both loved so much. Nearby, Max took off the remote viewing device that had been on his head and turned his observation chair around slowly so that he was facing Liz. She smiled at him, and he smiled back and took her hands in his…**

**"We will find our way home, you know."**

**Liz nodded. "I know. I just wish it could be sooner. Sometimes I feel so lost out here, Max. It's like… almost like… our children all died or something."**

**"Don't say that, Liz."**

**"It's just how it feels… not being able to be with them or see them or know if they're okay…"**

**Max nodded and took Liz into his arms, cradling her head gently against his chest, then he turned his face upward and stared through the dome into space, as a single tear worked its way slowly down his face. He felt it, too. On board the New Granolith, emotions ran the gamut. Sometimes they laughed, sometimes they played… and sometimes they cried. **

**But the sadness was always wiped away soon by happier thoughts… or by the antics of the crew. Interestingly, during this long trip together without their children they had begun to act more like the teenagers they had once been. They had become the children again themselves. It wasn't a bad thing really. It was the result of having no need to act like parents. It simply allowed their true personalities to come to the forefront… minus some of the natural inhibitions that parenting and social responsibilities bring with them. Any of them would have given everything they had to have that responsibility again… just to see their children again. But the realities that they had to deal with were something a bit different.**

**"Does it seem to you that the places we land up on keep getting weirder and weirder," asked Tess… to no one in particular.**

**Isabel nodded. "I think we're going further and further away from the reality we know. It seems like it anyway."**

**"Well, I don't know," Kyle said, "A couple of the Antars we were on in the last few weeks were pretty normal, I thought… Everything was peaceful, Max was the king, Kivar was gone… a lot like our own Antar."**

**"Maybe," Michael said, "But Tess is right… some of them have been pretty weird."**

**"Well, okay," Kyle conceded, "If you count that one where you and Maria were the royal couple three planets back."**

**Michael rolled his eyes. "That one wasn't weird. They had peace and prosperity, and everyone was happy. What, you think Maria and I couldn't do it?"**

**"Oh, I'm sure Maria could," Kyle chided.**

**"Be thankful I'm happy holding Maria right now and don't feel like moving my arm, Kyle. It's the only thing keeping your butt from getting a good scorching."**

**Kyle chuckled. "Well, there WAS that Antar where Liz, Maria, Alex, and I were the real Antarians and we all had these awesome powers, and you and Max and Tess and Isabel were the earthlings… and had no powers."**

**"That one was whacked," Michael retorted, frowning.**

**"You just can't stand seeing what you would be like without powers," Kyle chided.**

**"Yeah well… that's one frikkin' planet out of… how many now? Anyway, don't go getting all high and mighty, VALENTI, 'cause you aren't the one that had the powers back there."**

**"Yeah, well, but I do have some powers of my own, GUERIN. I know, they're kind of paltry, but they're something. It's more than your average earthling has."**

**"That's only because Max healed you that time."**

**"Maybe, maybe not. He never healed Alex or Maria, and they developed powers, too."**

**Michael shrugged. "So the Antarian food is healthy… and our air is good for you."**

**Kyle smiled. "My double back there was pretty awesome, wasn't he!"**

**Michael groaned and turned all his attentions back to Maria.**

**Tess smiled and shook her head… "Well, I thought the weirdest Antar so far was that one three weeks ago… the one where Kivar was the king and the people totally, like, worshipped him. They were going to have us burned at the stake when we showed our faces on their planet!"**

**Alex nodded. "Yeah, if Kivar hadn't been so damned honorable and nice and hadn't convinced everyone that we weren't their former royals, we'd have been shish-kabob… Antarian style!"**

**"That's because on that Antar, you weren't the real royals," Rayylar said. "Kivar was the real king, and we… well, you guys that is, tried to overthrow him and take his throne before, and they thought you had come back to try again. They really loved that guy!"**

**"Yeah," Michael agreed, smiling, "But what I liked about that Antar was that Nicholas was a woman… a real girly girl… with curly blonde hair and lipstick! I thought I would split a gut when I recognized him… uh, HER. And then when Kivar kissed him!"**

**Alex snorted and nodded enthusiastically… "Nicholas was Kivar's wife, Nichola! That was pretty funny! I might have even laughed if I hadn't been looking at a frikkin' BONFIRE… UNDER MY FEET!"**

**Michael snickered. "Hey, all's well that ends well, Alex."**

**"Speak for yourself. They hadn't lit your fire yet when Kivar saved us."**

**Michael smiled and hugged Maria closer to him. **

**"Yeah, that was the weirdest Antar of all!" Tess said again, laughing.**

**"Pshhhh! Not even close," Isabel huffed.**

**Michael raised his head and looked at Isabel questioningly… "Oh yeah, then what do you think was the weirdest one?"**

**"The one where my double was married to… that guy!"**

**Michael grinned… "Say it, Iz… JESSE."**

**"Geeeeeeeeeeez!" Isabel groaned, "Get over it, Michael! We find one whacked world that's all screwed up and you don't let anyone forget it!"**

**Michael laughed. "What was so whacked about that planet? It was at peace. Max and Liz were the king and queen. All of our doubles were there, and they were all happy… Huh?"**

**"Alex wasn't there!"**

**"Yeah… so…?"**

**Isabel huffed. "That is so unbelievable… I mean… God, Michael! Even you can see that's freaky! Nobody would believe it… I still don't! I would never just forget about Alex and marry some guy named Jesse… or anybody else… especially so soon after…"**

**"Well, your double did marry that Jesse guy. So SHE must NOT have thought it was whacked."**

**"She was brain damaged."**

**"Really? She looked fine to me."**

**"If you consider vapid and air-headed to be fine… yeah, I suppose so."**

**Michael chuckled. "You're just jealous 'cause she got the stud and you got Alex."**

**Isabel spun around suddenly, and Michael leapt from the sofa, hitting the floor running.**

**"Run, Michael!" Max yelled, laughing, as Isabel tore out of the observatory after him.**

**"Max… don't encourage him!" Liz said, "One of these days, she may catch him… and she may do him some serious bodily harm."**

**"If I don't do it first," Alex said, as he headed out the door after Isabel and Michael.**

**Max shrugged, grinning like a mischievous child. "It's okay. I can fix it… whatever they do."**

**"OH!" Maria huffed, rolling over and pulling the sofa pillow over her head in an exaggerated display of disgust at Max's comment.**

**"You think she'll catch him?" Tess asked, looking just a wee bit concerned.**

**Max shook his head and pointed toward the door. Michael walked in, with a self-satisfied smile on his face. Tess looked at him, puzzled…**

**"Where did you come from? Where's Isabel? And Alex?"**

**Michael chuckled… "Isabel's probably running all over the ship looking for me. Alex is following her. I ducked into the droids' nook just outside the door and stood behind the vacuum hoses until she got in the ascension chamber. Alex waited for it to come back up, then he went down, too."**

**"She'll blow you into little smoking embers, Michael," Tess said. "You know she'll catch you sooner or later."**

**Michael grinned. "Don't count on it, Tess. I'm one step ahead of her."**

**Tess nodded. "For now. But I'd be looking over your shoulder, Michael."**

**"I'm touched by your concern, Tess."**

**Tess smiled. "Don't let it go to your head. I may be cheering for her."**

**Michael rolled his eyes and plopped down on the sofa beside Maria again… "Now where were we?"**

**But at that moment, Isabel came in the door, and she did not look amused when she saw Michael sitting there.**

**"Michael, stand away from Maria if you don't want Maria vaporized, too."**

**Michael laughed, though just a bit nervously this time… "You wouldn't do anything that might hurt Maria."**

**"You want to take that chance?"**

**Michael stared at Isabel's face for a moment, gauging the look in her eyes, then he stood up and walked to the other side of the room.**

**"Don't hurt him," Maria said.**

**Isabel seemed to smile, but only slightly. "He won't feel pain, Maria… not for long."**

**"Isabel's kidding," Liz whispered to Maria, "She's pissed, but she wouldn't really hurt Michael."**

**Maria didn't appear so sure, but she nodded.**

**Isabel lifted her hand, and Michael prepared to block it, lifting his own hand. As fate would have it, Alex walked into the room at that moment. Seeing Michael with his hand up and Isabel across the room from him, Alex sent a surge of power at Michael at the same time as Isabel did. The next moment, the room erupted in light, and everyone looked away, guarding their eyes. When they looked again, there were only gasps.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**End of Chapter 31**

**tbc…**


	33. Chapter 32

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**An Unexpected Turn **

**Chapter 32**

**XXXII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Shocked gasps were heard, as everyone stared at the spot where Michael had stood only a moment before. But Michael was no longer there. Where he had been, there was nothing but a huge hole in the air… a sort of vortex, surrounded by a hazy aura of swirling mist and eerie light. The first thought in everyone's mind was that it looked like a scene out of some post-holocaust movie… **

**"Omigod!" Maria exclaimed, "You vaporized him!" **

**"I… I don't think it was anything Iz and Alex did," Liz whispered shakily, putting her arm around her best friend. "That looks like the vortex those four guys came through before… the ones that called themselves sliders."**

**Maria nodded but stood there, transfixed, half in shock, her eyes wide, yet unable to look away from the swirling vortex. Then the vortex suddenly widened unexpectedly and something tumbled out…**

**"Michael!" Maria exclaimed, rushing to his side. Rolling quickly back onto his feet, Michael grabbed Maria and leapt to one side with her just as another person fell out of the vortex… followed by four more.**

**"Whooooooooooooooo, Lordy! Oh, MAN!" the first guy out howled, hopping around and fanning a smoldering scorched area on the seat of his pants. "We must have swiped a meteor when we slid this time, Cue Ball! My butt's on fire!"**

**"You are not alone, Mister Brown," said an older man, Professor Maximillian Arturo, in a stodgy, vaguely British accent, as he briskly attempted to put out a small fire that was still burning on his own right pants leg.**

**Liz and Tess both gasped, and Tess covered her mouth with both hands then began to laugh.**

**"I fail to see what is so amusing about our situation, Miss… Tess, wasn't it?"**

**Tess nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh… honest, Professor."**

**Liz stepped forward and smiled at the unexpected arrivals… "I think Isabel and Alex's blasts must have gone through your vortex." **

**"Good Gawd," the older man said in his stodgy accent, finally putting out the last smoldering embers of his now-shorter right pants leg… "If we wore out our welcome the last time we were here, you might have said so, quite simply. It strikes me as a bit hostile to set us on fire!"**

**"I'm so sorry," Isabel said, removing her own hands from her mouth and trying to speak. "We meant it for Michael, not you. Honest, we never expected…! We're so sorry!"**

**"That goes for me, too," Alex said abashedly, "Like Isabel said, it was intended for Michael."**

**Quinn Mallory turned to Michael and grinned… "Wow! You must have really pissed them off, Michael!"**

**Michael shrugged… "They're thin skinned."**

**"Remind me not to get you mad at me," Rembrandt Brown said, smiling at Isabel and Alex.**

**"I'm sorry," Isabel said apologetically, putting her arms around Remmy then around each of the others in turn. "You're all welcome here. We would never blast you guys, I promise." She turned and glared at Michael… "Michael, on the other hand…"**

**"Michael, old pal," Rembrandt said, pulling him aside, "If you need advice on dealing with the ladies…"**

**"Isabel?" Michael chuckled, obviously amused. "She's like my sister."**

**"All the same," Remmy said, "You may need some help… I'm only guessing that, of course… speaking from the seat of my pants."**

**"I'll remember the offer," Michael said… "You have a new companion?"**

**Rembrandt smiled… "Yeah, hey everybody, this is Maggie! Maggie Beckett! She joined us a little while back."**

**"Welcome to the New Granolith," Liz said, smiling at the new girl and noticing that she never seemed to stray far from Quinn. Liz filed it in her mind as a curiosity… one that was probably better not mentioned until she knew more. Max and Liz finished welcoming each of the visitors to the ship, and the others all crowded around wanting to ask questions.**

**"How did you wind up here again?" Alex asked.**

**"That is the question we would all like an answer to," the professor said, turning to look at Quinn.**

**"I think we took an unexpected turn," Wade said… Then she glanced at Maggie, who now had her arm entwined in Quinn's, and added, "Not the first one…"**

**Liz nodded, knowing for sure now that Maggie and Quinn were not a subject to be mentioned… unless Wade brought it up first. **

**"Well, guys," Max said, smiling, "Your timing is impeccable. Dinner is in about one hour. That just gives you time to rest up a bit and get cleaned up… and, uh… we might be able to get some of you a new pair of pants… or something. The onboard droids do excellent work… and they're fast. They can make new pants for you that will precisely match the ones you have on now… only without the scorches, of course."**

**Remmy suddenly looked at Kyle then back at Max again… "Hey, Max! You wouldn't be able to get me a pair of those harem pants would you… you know, like the ones you and Kyle were wearing the last time we dropped in?"**

**Max stared at Remmy for a moment then nodded, his face reddening noticeably, "I could probably arrange it."**

**"All right! Out-o-sight! Thanks!" **

**"Don't mention it, Rembrandt!"**

**"It's cool, man. You don't need to be modest."**

**"I'm not. That was a royal order," Max said, smiling.**

**"Max and Kyle never expected anyone outside of our own crew to see that," Liz whispered to Wade, "They'll never live it down knowing that you guys saw it, too."**

**Wade smiled.**

**"Well, I have a question… before you guys go to clean up and all…" Michael said, "How did I wind up inside that vortex thing of yours?"**

**Quinn laughed. "It was a fluke really. When the vortex first opens on the other end… your end, in this case… just for a brief moment, it sucks in a lot of air, like a huge vacuum hose, before the direction reverses and we slide through. I guess you were standing right where it opened up and just got sucked in in that first moment. We've never had a person get sucked in on the other end before… sometimes rocks, sticks, trash, smaller things. It had to happen sooner or later."**

**Michael nodded… "Yeah, I remember the last time you guys popped in… all the air got sucked out of the room, just for a second, when the vortex first appeared, then the air returned to normal and you guys fell out."**

**Quinn nodded. **

**"May I ask a question, too?" Varec inquired cautiously.**

**Quinn nodded… "Sure."**

**"Why did you slide again?"**

**Quinn took a deep breath and slowly blew it back out. "It's a long story, Varec. The short version is that it turned out that it wasn't our earth. We all thought it was at first. Almost everything was perfect, just like we remembered it, but it turned out that not everything was exactly right."**

**Varec looked stunned, almost as though his life's work had just been disproved. He stood there for a moment but then shook his head… "It was the earth that you left from the first time, Quinn. I am certain of that. There could not have been a mistake."**

**Quinn smiled sympathetically. "Everybody makes mistakes, Varec… even I do, as hard as that is to believe. Don't worry about it. You did your best, and we appreciate it. Really! You tried. What more could we ask?"**

**"Not to get sent to the wrong earth, maybe," Varec replied, torn between being crushed, on the one hand, and being certain that Quinn was wrong, on the other.**

**"Besides," Quinn said, "Don't forget that if you hadn't recalibrated my timer, our next slide would have been into deep space… remember? You saved all our lives. I think going to the wrong earth was a very acceptable alternative, under the circumstances."**

**Varec shook his head. Nothing would ease the vague uneasy feeling of failure, of miscalculation, that played in his mind. He still could not accept it…**

**"May I see the timer again, Quinn?"**

**Quinn hesitated, but then he nodded, recalling that Varec had shown an amazing expertise with it before.**

**"I guess so… Why don't we wait until after dinner, and both of us can look at it together. It's kind of like my baby… I don't like to let it out of my sight."**

**"I remember," Varec said, "Okay… after dinner… together… we look at your timer. We will find out what happened."**

**Quinn smiled.**

**Liz and Maria watched, as Jim led Quinn and the others out of the observatory to show them each to temporary rooms. Maggie Beckett was still hanging onto Quinn's arm. Wade brought up the rear, her eyes glued on Quinn and Maggie from behind, and Liz had the vaguest, uneasy "feeling" that she was watching Maggie's back burst into flames, but no one else seemed to notice… except possibly Maria.**

**Liz looked at Maria and raised her eyebrows, and Maria nodded and smiled… **

**"This could be interesting."**

**End of Chapter 32**

**tbc…**


	34. Chapter 33

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Windows To The Soul **

**Chapter 33**

**XXXIII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**"Well, this looks familiar," Rembrandt said, sitting down at the table in the same seat he had occupied several months back.**

**Liz smiled. "Yeah, this is our dining room. No choice of restaurants here. Sorry we can't offer more variety, Remmy." **

**Rembrandt shook his head vigorously. "Don't be! It was a compliment. For us, seeing anything familiar again is practically an orgasm."**

**Michael coughed and snorted his drink, a mix of Cherry Cola, Snapple, and Tabasco, up his nose, which set him to sneezing, and Tess and Maria began to giggle. Liz smiled sheepishly, and her eyebrows went up just a bit, and Max just grinned silently.**

**"Well, that's… definitely… good, I guess," Alex said, as Isabel tried hard to suppress a laugh. **

**Professor Arturo took a short sip of his drink to 'clear his throat…' "Well, Mister Brown, that is not precisely how I would have put it, but I believe you may have adequately captured the essence of our ongoing dilemma."**

**"Napkins…? Are there any more napkins?" Michael stammered, doing his best not to sneeze again and having to dab tears from his eyes for his effort… **

**"I've got a frikkin' news flash: Tabasco does not have the same pleasant qualities when consumed through the nose."**

**"I thought you liked it any way you could get it," Kyle said, not making any effort to hide his glee.**

**"Tabasco, Kyle! We're talking about Tabasco! Get your mind back on track, Valenti!"**

**"I WAS talking about Tabasco."**

**"You were? Oh… yeah, well… alright then."**

**"This conversation definitely took a detour on the fast track," Jim said, grinning.**

**"You're drinking Tabasco?" Maggie Beckett asked, in an incredulous tone.**

**"They like it," Quinn said, "It's an alien thing."**

**Maggie scrunched up her nose but smiled.**

**"Well, it's mixed with Orange Snapple and Cherry Cola," Michael said unapologetically.**

**"But you do like it straight," Alex insisted, "I've seen you drink it right out of the bottle many times."**

**Michael shrugged. "Yeah, so? So do Max and Isabel… and Varec… and Rayylar. I've seen Tess take a toke straight from the bottle, too… when she doesn't think anyone's looking."**

**"Like Quinn said," Alex retorted, "It's an alien thing."**

**"Yeah, well, this is an Antarian ship," Michael pointed out factually, "You're the aliens, not us."**

**"He's right!" Quinn agreed, nodding with a chuckle.**

**Wade looked at Quinn and grinned.**

**"Speaking of your 'ongoing dilemma,'" Varec interjected, changing the subject, "What made you determine that you had not returned to your earth after I sent you back?"**

**"It's a long story," Quinn replied, shaking his head slowly, "Some things just weren't right."**

**"There was this guy that Quinn knew on our earth who had lost one of his thumbs," Remmy said, "But on the earth you sent us to, he had both thumbs. I don't know about you guys, but we don't grow new thumbs."**

**"Can't your doctors reattach a thumb," Varec asked, trying to think of some plausible explanation.**

**"Maybe… if it's done right away and they have the thumb to sew back on… and if it's not too damaged," Quinn replied, "But not this long after it was lost."**

**"Maybe your medical science has improved while you were gone," Varec suggested.**

**Quinn shook his head.**

**"Well, the decisive factor for me," Professor Arturo stated flatly, "Was seeing Mister Bennish. The Conrad Bennish I know is a mutant… a dangerous pathogen infecting the very essence of our universe. The Mister Bennish I saw on this earth was a polite, respectful, decent young man… not at all our Mister Bennish."**

**"People cannot change on your planet?" Varec asked, incredulous.**

**"They can… They do…" Professor Arturo agreed, nodding, "But the day Conrad Bennish turns into what I saw back there will be the day I will eat… those hideous harem pants that Mister Brown is wearing."**

**"Not my harem pants," Remmy exclaimed, "Where would I ever find another pair like these?"**

**"The question is, Mister Brown, why would you want to?" Professor Arturo shot back unsympathetically.**

**"Well, I don't know," Quinn mused, "I would be willing to let the professor eat them. It would be interesting entertainment."**

**"Barbarians," Remmy exclaimed, making a show of protecting his new pants, as the girls giggled.**

**"Well, it seems to me," Varec said thoughtfully, "That these are things that could have had a reasonable explanation. Sometimes the most difficult things to believe are true nevertheless."**

**Quinn nodded and sighed. "I know… maybe one coincidence… but two coincidences? And like Remmy said, humans don't grow new thumbs."**

**"It should not be impossible," Varec insisted, "From what I have seen, the human body is capable of it." **

**"He's right," Maggie said, "The human body does have regenerative capabilities, though we still don't know what triggers them in most cases. Our fingernails, toenails, hair, and skin regularly regenerate. Children grow new teeth, but adults rarely do… and limbs never regrow… well, almost never."**

**"Almost never?" Varec asked.**

**"I know what you're thinking," Quinn said, holding up his hand, "Almost doesn't mean never. But… trust me, it's just not likely."**

**"Did you eliminate all the possible explanations… even the ones that did not seem likely?" Varec asked, "That would be the first duty of a scientist."**

**Quinn actually reddened somewhat. He had, of course, not delved very deeply for possible explanations… certainly not in a systematic and scientific way; and now, under relentless fire from Varec, he had to admit that that had been a mistake. It did not in any way change his opinion that the world they had gone to had not been their own world; but from a scientific viewpoint, Varec was entirely correct, and Quinn, the consummate scientist that he was, knew it only too well… embarrassingly well…**

**"If I had been conducting a scientific experiment, I would have looked for every possible explanation… and catalogued each one properly… then I would have double checked each answer and looked for conflicts and found a way to explain those as well. But I was not doing a scientific experiment."**

**Varec smiled. "Life is a scientific experiment, Quinn Mallory. Everything must be considered with that in mind… especially if it is important to us."**

**Quinn sighed. He definitely was not going to win this one, and he knew it from the beginning. But worse than that, some annoying little gremlin in his own mind kept telling him that Varec was right. Whatever he might personally believe about the world Varec had sent them to, Quinn had allowed himself to make a final determination, one affecting all their lives, based on a mere feeling… Well… a bit more than a feeling… There was evidence that had seemed convincing at the time… on the surface… But what if there WAS an explanation? The idea burned at Quinn's mind. He wished he had given more thought to possible explanations now, even seemingly implausible or ridiculous ones. At least he would be able to look Varec in the eyes right now and not feel lower than a high school science flunkee. It was a very unpleasant feeling for one with Quinn Mallory's brilliant mind for science.**

**"Well… don't be concerned about it now," Varec said, sensing Quinn's discomfort. "The information is still in your timer. We can examine it together after dinner. The worst that could have happened would be that you saw a few more alternate worlds and had a few more experiences to learn something new from."**

**"Yeah, Cue Ball!" Remmy added, "Everybody here depends on you, and you've never let us down. If we didn't have you, we'd be lost for real!"**

**Quinn chuckled. "Only if someone else as arrogant and single-minded as me put you out there to start with, Remmy. Don't forget, it's my fault we slid in the first place."**

**"Yeah, but you'll get us back, Cue Ball. We believe in you."**

**Wade smiled at Remmy and nodded. "I believe in you, Quinn. I've always believed in you."**

**Seated next to Quinn, Maggie Beckett put her arm through Quinn's and looked into his eyes… "I believe in you, too."**

**Quinn looked at Maggie and smiled, and she kissed him lightly, almost teasingly, on the forehead. **

**Wade smiled, too… at least, her lips did. That was what Quinn saw when he looked at her. What Quinn did not see was the smile in Wade's eyes. But how could he have? It had been replaced… by a deeper sadness in her heart. That was something that Quinn did not see. **

**But someone did.**

**8888888888**

**The knock on Wade's bedroom door was soft, almost tenuous, and at first she thought she might have imagined it. Then she heard it again. This time it was just a bit louder. Wade looked up from her bed and closed the paperback novel Maria had loaned her to read after dinner…**

**"Who is it?"**

**"It's Alex. Are you decent?"**

**Wade smiled and opened the door. "I've still got all my clothes on. Does that qualify?"**

**Alex smiled. "That's what I meant."**

**Wade laughed. "Are you the official welcoming committee, Alex? Where's my basket of fruit?"**

**Alex shrugged and smiled. "I can get you some."**

**Wade took Alex by the arm and sat him down in the easy chair beside her bed, then she sat down on the bed beside him. "Don't be silly. I was only kidding. I was teasing you."**

**She looked at Alex and smiled, waiting for him to say why he had come… and Alex felt an uncomfortable feeling. Funny, he thought, that he hadn't given the little matter of what to say any consideration before coming here and putting himself on the line this way. It had just been something he had felt compelled to do, and here he was.**

**"I was… I was… wondering…"**

**"Yes?"**

**Alex took a deep breath… "Well, I've been noticing that… that… you don't seem to be particularly thrilled about the presence of your new traveling companion, Maggie Beckett." (There! He had said it!)**

**Wade looked at Alex for a moment then began to laugh. "Is that what this is about? You think I'm jealous of Maggie! Oh, Alex, you couldn't be more wrong! Quinn and I are buds. We've been buds forever. We'll always be buds. Quinn's in love with Maggie. That's a whole different kind of relationship."**

**Alex groaned. "I know that… I mean, the different kind of relationship stuff. It's just that sometimes I see things that others don't seem to see."**

**Wade looked at Alex for a moment, just for a moment, seriously, but then she smiled again… "What are you… empathic… a mind reader… psychic?"**

**Alex shook his head. "None of the above. I just notice things that sometimes go unnoticed… like… when Maggie Beckett kissed Quinn, you smiled."**

**"See! I told you! I'm happy for them."**

**Alex shook his head. "No. You're not."**

**Taken aback by Alex's seeming certainty and brashness, Wade stared at him curiously, but Alex continued…**

**"Everybody else was looking at your lips, Wade, and your lips were smiling, but I look at the eyes…"**

**Wade looked down at the floor for a moment then became serious again… "The eyes… windows to the soul and all that, right?"**

**Alex nodded. "They tell a different story, you know."**

**Noticing that Wade's eyes had begun misting up, Alex started to get up… "I'm… I'm sorry! I shouldn't have bothered you! I'll leave if you want me to."**

**"Sit down, Alex!"**

**Obediently, Alex sat back down.**

**"You wouldn't understand, Alex."**

**"Try me."**

**Wade thought about it, then she opened up her heart…**

**"Quinn and I have known each other like forever. We've been friends… buds, you know? We don't know how to be anything else with each other. Maggie, though… she's different. She's what he needs. She's not just his friend, she's… more."**

**"Don't you think you can be more to him, Wade? You want to be! I really think you do, otherwise I wouldn't have come here."**

**"It doesn't matter, Alex. You wouldn't understand."**

**"You said that before. So tell me why I wouldn't understand."**

**"Quinn is… Quinn is… so far above me. I'm not right for him. I could never be right for him. Being a buddy, his lifetime friend, is the closest I could ever hope to come to having him. I don't want to lose that. He deserves someone like Maggie… someone elegant and… right for him… someone marriageable. I told you you wouldn't understand."**

**Alex started laughing, and Wade looked at him, flustered… "Well, it's not funny. I'm sitting here baring my soul to you… admitting that I'm not good enough for some guy, and that's how you try to make me feel better… by laughing at me?" She picked up a pillow off the bed and threw it at Alex, and he caught it and laid it back on the bed with a smile. Then he sat down beside her and wiped a tear off of her cheek…**

**"You don't know how well I DO understand, Wade. You couldn't possibly know. You know that beautiful, blonde, angelic… bombshell that I'm married to?"**

**Wade smiled and laughed, sniffing. "Isabel? Yeah, she is beautiful! See, Alex, I could never look like that!"**

**"You're missing the point," Alex said insistently, "What I'm trying to tell you is that for the longest time when we were growing up I knew for a fact that Isabel would never ever ever in a million years want someone like me. I wasn't good enough for her. She was so far above me that I couldn't even reach that high or think that high. Well, think maybe, but thoughts don't get you much. She was on a whole different level on the evolutionary scale… or something… She was an angel that God had made special for some Adonis, not for a nothing little geek like me."**

**Wade laughed and shook her head. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Alex. You're special. Isabel did get her Adonis. Trust me on that. A girl knows these things."**

**Alex reddened a little bit and smiled. "Well, see, that's the thing, Wade, that's what the rest of us all think about you. You're totally good enough for Quinn. And I think he would be the first one to say so."**

**"You think so?"**

**Alex nodded. "I know so. Trust me on this. A guy knows these things."**

**Wade smiled and gave Alex a scolding look for using her own words back on her. Then she hugged him.**

**Outside Wade's door, a few minutes later, Alex took a deep breath and smiled. "Now to talk to Quinn."**

**End of Chapter 33**

**tbc…**


	35. Chapter 34

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Reflections, Of Course **

**Chapter 34**

**XXXIV**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Varec lifted the "guts" of the timer out gently, all the time watching Quinn out of the corner of his eye to make sure that Quinn's heart was still holding out. Quinn was silent, but the look on his face was a perfect picture of pure agony. It spoke volumes that Quinn had even agreed to let Varec dismantle the timer. There was almost certainly no one else in the universe… any universe in any dimension, actually… that Quinn would have willingly allowed to even touch his timer, much less dismantle it; but in spite of the agonized expression on his face, deep down, Quinn trusted Varec. He had seen what the Antarian scientist was capable of.**

**"This is it," Varec announced, as he carefully separated a small chip from the rest of the timer and plugged it into an improvised machine of his own invention. Immediately, the screen in front of them lit up, and on it appeared a long string of code. The code was still printing out over a minute later and did not appear to be letting up. Four minutes after it had started, the code ended.**

**"That's it… the record of every slide you've made."**

**Quinn pointed at a segment of the code not far from the beginning… "That's where Conrad Bennish's double in an alternate dimension got a hold of the timer and reset it during one of our earlier slides. He corrupted all the code up to that point. That's why we couldn't use the internal memory to find our way back to our home world."**

**"The code was scrambled… but not undecipherable," Varec replied calmly, "To decipher it, it is necessary to determine what was done to it. It's like following clues and leads that unlock a mystery… or untangling a knot. Once the aberration has been revealed and resolved, the code can be read in the same way as any coded message might be."**

**Quinn nodded. "That's what I figured, too, but it was impossible to 'untangle' the 'knot' with the capabilities I had at my disposal. I thought it was a lost cause."**

**"Not lost, Quinn Mallory, just tangled. I unraveled it once before."**

**Quinn wanted to point out again to Varec that he must have unraveled the code wrong the first time… that the world they had wound up on had not been their own world… but he could not force himself to say it. The truth is, he was terrified, deep inside, of being asked one more time to explain his previous failure to provide a systematic and thorough scientific appraisal of the evidence they had encountered on the world they had been on. It was like arguing with God about religion. No matter what Quinn said, he just wasn't going to win. **

**Varec was a bit older than Quinn, and certainly wiser, in terms of experience, and he knew that he intimidated Quinn. It was purely intentional. Quinn was a genius beyond any doubt. Varec found it much easier to deal with geniuses if they felt a little intimidated by him, though his methods were subtle. He never claimed to be smarter or to know more than anyone. He merely had a way of identifying and capitalizing on their missteps or weaknesses… all very subtly. Varec had turned geniuses who were full of themselves and who were totally convinced of their own vast superiority into quivering masses of Jell-O after being with them for only minutes… without ever claiming to be at all superior or smarter himself.**

**Quinn was not like some of the "geniuses" Varec had met, who were conceited and convinced of their own superiority; but Quinn was a genius, and he was aware of the fact that his knowledge of science exceeded that of most other people he met. He did not claim to be or pretend to be smarter than anyone else, he just usually was.**

**Varec highlighted the portion of the code that had been corrupted and ran it through an internal filter in the device he had built, and moments later, a string of Antarian symbols popped up on the screen.**

**"There it is." **

**Quinn looked at the screen. "There what is? All I see is more gibberish."**

**"That's Antarian," Varec said with a smile. "I will have to transcribe it into your symbols so that you can read it."**

**Quinn stared at the screen intently… "What's this symbol," he asked after several moments, pointing at a symbol that appeared several times in the code.**

**"It's the equivalent of what you call 'pi' in your language."**

**Quinn nodded and pointed at another symbol… "And this one?"**

**"It means 'tangent' to you"**

**Quinn thought for a moment and then nodded. "What is this one here?"**

**"It is what you call 'sine.' Sine and cosine functions are useful to diagram cyclical trends, among other things."**

**Quinn stared at the symbols on the screen, mentally making sense of what he was seeing…**

**"It's like mathematics… it's just another code."**

**"You mean sine?"**

**"No… your language. The symbols are a logical sequence of thought… like higher math." Quinn pointed at one that Varec had not translated for him… "This one here, period ****pi… tangent or cotangent?"**

**"Tangent."**

**"Then this is cotangent," Quinn said, pointing at another symbol.**

**Varec nodded.**

**Quinn began pointing at other symbols, usually identifying them correctly through logical analysis of their positions and interrelationships with the other symbols, then Varec produced another string of code from the timer's memory chip and positioned the new code beneath the first one for comparison. Quinn stared at the two strings of code displayed on the screen in Antarian symbols, and he appeared to be mentally tracing them backwards from the point where the first code had been corrupted to the beginning…**

**"I need something to write on."**

**Varec handed Quinn a pad and pencil, and Quinn jotted down a series of calculations then gazed, somewhat triumphantly, at what he had written… "This is the earth you sent us to… and the one above it should be our map home." **

**Quinn turned back and stared again at his calculations, mentally working out the coordinates of his home world and comparing them to the coordinates of Varec's earlier code. He appeared to check and recheck his figures, as though what he was seeing was impossible… then all the color slowly drained out of his face, leaving a canvas of conflicted emotions, as he tuned to Varec again…**

**"We were there… We were home…"**

**Varec nodded, and the corners of his mouth rose ever so slightly into the barest suggestion of a smile.**

**8888888888**

**Alex spotted Liz in the hallway… "Have you seen Quinn?"**

**"Not recently. He was with Varec earlier. They were going to go over some of the data from his timer together. Maybe they're in the lab."**

**"Yeah, I should have thought of that. Thanks."**

**Alex turned to walk away, but Liz stopped him…**

**"Alex…"**

**He turned around again and looked at Liz.**

**"Alex, I know what you're doing."**

**"I'm not doing anything… well, nothing illegal or immoral."**

**Liz smiled. "Maybe not… but have you considered Maggie's feelings?"**

**Alex was silent for a moment, then he nodded.**

**"Well, don't you think maybe she loves Quinn, too… and maybe he may love her? I'm not suggesting anything, but maybe it's something you should keep in mind. I know you wouldn't want to cause anyone any undue pain or hurt."**

**Alex sighed and nodded, then he looked up at Liz with an indefinable conviction in his eyes…**

**"I do think Maggie loves Quinn, and I think he loves her, too… but it's different."**

**"How so?"**

**"Well… Wade's love has deep roots. She and Quinn have grown together in so many ways for so long. Maggie's love… it's real, I'm sure, but it's more superficial. It hasn't had time to grow deep roots the way Wade's has for Quinn and Quinn's has for Wade, even if he doesn't quite realize it yet. You know, Liz, Maggie had a whole life before Quinn, and it's still a very big part of her. She's not from Quinn and Wade's world. They picked her up on one of the alternate world's they slid to. Her people were under attack by the KroMaggs, a vicious but advanced species of humans who descended from the Cro Magnons and Neanderthals. Maggie was a soldier… I think she was even a captain or a general or something high up. She had this life that demanded her full attention and total dedication. She didn't have time for love."**

**Liz nodded. "She was a U.S. marine captain. But her world was taken over by the KroMaggs, then it was destroyed by a pulsar. She has nothing now except Quinn. That former life is gone, Alex."**

**Alex shook his head slowly… "Maggie's strong… and independent. I'm not saying that she doesn't love Quinn, but I wonder if she's really as devoted to him as he believes she is… or even as devoted to him as she believes she is right now… You know what I mean? Wade's love has withstood the test of time already. She's followed him everywhere. She's totally devoted to him, and even she doesn't realize it. He IS her life. He's every breath she takes. It's not the same with Maggie."**

**Liz nodded. "For whatever it's worth, Alex, I think you're right… but I'm just worried about the possibility of hurting people by interfering in their lives. Maybe it's not our place to interfere. I'm… I'm not telling you not to… I'm just cautioning you. Think about it, and consider the consequences… to everybody, especially Maggie."**

**Alex nodded and sighed.**

**8888888888**

**Two hours after leaving Liz in the hallway, Alex knocked on Quinn's door.**

**"Quinn… it's Alex. Are you there?"**

**The door opened and Quinn smiled at Alex… "Alex… What's up, dude? Come on in. I was just getting ready for bed."**

**"Yeah, sorry to bother you so late. I know it's almost midnight."**

**"No prob. I never actually hit the sack before midnight anyway."**

**Alex walked in and started to sit down, but he decided to remain standing instead. This time he had thought a lot about what he was going to say. Yet somehow, now that he was facing Quinn, he wasn't sure. But he quickly vanquished any doubts from his mind. He knew what was right, and he was determined to see right win out…**

**"How do you feel about Wade, Quinn?"**

**Quinn looked at Alex for a moment, puzzled, then he laughed… "I love her!"**

**"You DO? I mean… yeah, that's what I thought."**

**"Wade's been my best friend since we were kids pretty much. Wherever I've gone, Wade's always been there."**

**"Exactly! Wow… this may be easier than I thought."**

**"I can't imagine Wade not being there. When Maggie and I get married, we want her to be the maid of honor… I mean, it only makes sense, with Wade being someone so special to me and all, and since Maggie's friends are all gone…"**

**Alex sighed… "Or not…"**

**"Huh?"**

**"Or maybe not easier… nothing, forget it…" Alex thought for a moment and decided to just go for broke… "Quinn, the reason I wanted to talk to you was to try to convince you that you and Wade belong together."**

**"Yeah, well, I know that, Alex. She's my buddy."**

**"She's more than that, fool." Alex stopped suddenly and reddened considerably as soon as the words had left his mouth, and Quinn looked like he was unsure he had heard right.**

**"I'm sorry, Quinn! I didn't mean that. Well, yes, I guess I did, but I didn't mean to say it out loud… Damn! I'm not making this any better, am I?"**

**Quinn shook his head, but then he smiled.**

**"Look, Alex… I know that to a lot of people it may look like Wade and I are… closer than we are. I mean, we are close, but Wade only wants to be my buddy, and I don't want to destroy that relationship by acting like a lovesick idiot and making her run away. I don't know if you could understand that, but… I'd rather have a platonic relationship with Wade than no relationship. It's an understanding we've had since we were kids, so it's not like I'm going to be heartbroken or she's going to be heartbroken when I marry Maggie. It's just reality. We're buddies… friends… soul mates."**

**"Soul mates?"**

**"Well… you know what I mean… close… for two people who will never be… Why am I telling you all this?"**

**"Because I'm so lovable?"**

**Quinn rolled his eyes. "Because I don't want to mess up this nice room by pounding you into the carpet." Quinn smiled, letting Alex know that he was kidding, but Alex wondered how far he could push before Quinn might decide the kidding was over. He decided it was worth the peril to his health to go on…**

**"Well, you see, Quinn, the thing is, Wade loves you. I mean, she really LOVES you… She's buddies with you because she doesn't want to lose you and she doesn't think she's good enough to be your wife."**

**"That's crazy! I've never told her she wasn't good enough! Wade is… she's the equal to any woman… more than the equal to any woman!"**

**"Except Maggie?"**

**Quinn was silent for a minute. Alex had put him on the spot, and Quinn wasn't sure how to answer. Alex prepared himself to be pounded, but Quinn shook his head thoughtfully…**

**Wade is equal to Maggie… in every way. I'm not going to put myself on the line here and say that either Wade or Maggie is more woman than the other."**

**Alex smiled. "That's probably smart. But, you see, Quinn, Wade does believe that she's not woman enough for you."**

**"Well, I'll tell her differently."**

**"You will?"**

**"Yeah…" Quinn thought about it then groaned… "Or maybe not. I can't tell her that. It'll sound like I'm proposing or coming on or something. How do you know that Wade feels this way, Alex? You barely know her? I would think I'd be more qualified to say how Wade feels. I'm a lot closer to her than you are."**

**"Maybe that's the problem, Quinn. You're too close to see things in focus… especially matters of the heart."**

**Quinn reflected on what Alex had said for several long moments, then he sighed…**

**"Do you have a Y chromosome, Alex?"**

**Alex grinned. "I think so, but I've been told that some people do have doubts."**

**Quinn nodded. "I can see why."**

**"Okay, Alex… okay… you've made me think about it. Do me a favor, okay?"**

**"Anything."**

**"Get out! I've got a lot of thinking to do."**

**Alex nodded and quickly left Quinn's room. Outside in the hall, he took a long deep breath and then blew it back out slowly, relaxing his tensed nerves…**

**"Well, that went pretty well… I think."**

**End of Chapter 34**

**tbc…**


	36. Chapter 35

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Highs And Lows **

**Chapter 35**

**XXXV**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Morning on the New Granolith found everyone heading to the dining hall for breakfast. It was ten minutes till seven, Antarian time, and most of the members of the crew had already gone in. The five "Sliders" all showed up together, as a group, and Alex noticed that Maggie was still holding onto Quinn's arm. He wondered what Quinn was thinking at that moment. Had he decided to stay with Maggie after all, or was he biding his time, trying to think of how he would set things right?**

**Precisely at seven o'clock, Antarian time, the little diner droid came out and rolled up to Liz, who quickly told it what she and Max wanted to eat. Then it proceeded to Isabel. **

**Isabel thought for a moment… "I feel like something different… a couple of blue hen eggs… poached… and maybe a piece of pashita bread, lightly toasted, and some Betonian vinis. Do we have any vinis left?"**

**The little droid replied affirmatively… "We have four vinis fruits left in the storage cooler. The Betonian vinis fruit is out of season, so the vinis trees in our gardens are not producing any more at this time."**

"**Well, one's all I want. Thank you, Ylomo."**

"**Ylomo?" Max asked, looking at Isabel curiously. **

**Isabel smiled. "He needed a name."**

"**Ylomo?" Max asked again, "Isn't that a Vellustian creature that looks like a big turtle or something… with a really high shell?"**

**Isabel nodded. "They do have really high shells, and he kind of reminds me of one, so…"**

"**Ylomo," Max repeated, shrugging. "Okay."**

**There was some good-natured chuckling around the table, and the droid proceeded to Alex, who asked for two Aluzian golden eggs, scrambled, with pashita toast and coffee. The next person at the table was Professor Arturo, who seemed to be as fascinated by the little droid this time around as he had been the first time the Sliders had been on the ship.**

"**Does he understand everything we say?" **

**Max nodded. "He does… in Antarian and in English."**

"**Amazing! I don't suppose you would have any brown eggs produced by a Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, or Plymouth Rock hen… or by any other brown-egg-laying earth hen…"**

"**No, sir."**

"**Ummm… too bad. How about white eggs… from a leghorn hen, then?"**

"**No, sir."**

"**Uh… I believe we have some Krolian pink-and-green-spotted gruvyyi eggs left," Kyle said, looking rather impish.**

**Maria gasped and shook her head vigorously… "Oh, no, we're not doing that to them! They're our friends!"**

"**Krolian gruvyyi eggs aren't bad," Kyle retorted, "They're just different."**

"**They're different all right," Michael agreed, laughing, "They're chewy… and they taste like bubble gum… one of those giant redhot things." **

**Professor Arturo chuckled, although he appeared mildly aghast… "How would one cook something like that… and why would one want to?"**

"**Usually they're poached and then chilled," Liz replied, "Like Michael said, they're chewy and taste a bit like fire hots or bubble gum… quite a bit like strong cinnamon bubble gum, actually."**

"**I don't guess they can be scrambled then," Remmy said, chuckling. **

**Michael shook his head. "You'd get something all fluffed up and stringy… like cotton candy… but it would taste like redhots. Actually, that might be pretty good! I might try it sometime! I like gruvyyi eggs."**

"**See!" Alex said cockily, "Michael likes them! What does that tell you?"**

"**Well, I think I'll try the 'groovy' eggs," Remmy said adventurously, "They sound interesting! Do you swallow them or just chew them like bubblegum?"**

"**You eat them… They're actually pretty nutritious. And yeah, they are interesting, for sure," Liz said, looking at Maria and giggling. "You can try them. If you don't like them, we'll cook you some Aluzian golden eggs. They taste more like real eggs are supposed to taste… a little exotic maybe, but basically eggs, not redhot… uh, bubblegum."**

"**How would you like your Krolian pink-and-green-spotted gruvyyi eggs prepared," the droid asked.**

**Remmy thought for a moment… "Uh… the usual way… poached… and, uh… chilled… I guess. Can you bring me some toast and coffee with it?"**

"**Certainly," the droid replied, moving on to Wade Welles.**

"**Do you have cereal?" Wade asked, fully expecting a negative reply.**

"**Cocoa Puffs or Raisin Bran?"**

**The corners of Wade's mouth rose into a broad smile… "Raisin Bran! I can't believe you have real earth cereal!"**

"**Michael likes it," Maria said, "So we try to keep some on hand all the time."**

"**See! I'm not so abnormal," Michael said smugly, casting a "so-there" glance at Alex.**

"**Will you have your cereal with milk, or will you have it in Tabasco sauce the way Michael always has his," the droid asked.**

**Everybody turned and looked at Michael, and Alex grinned angelically. Michael shrugged and sank back into his chair… "It tastes good. So sue me!"**

**The droid proceeded around the table, getting a quick, "The usual," from most of the remaining crew. Quinn asked for two Aluzian golden eggs with pashita toast and coffee, and since Remmy was trying them, he asked for one Krolian pink-and-green-spotted gruvyyi egg on the side. Then the little droid rolled back into the food preparation area.**

"**I thought you were going home," Quinn said to Max, after the little droid had gone, "Are you guys on another mission already?"**

**Max shook his head, and Quinn noted a definite hint of sadness in his face. "Our mission never ended. It just changed. We were thrown off course, and every Antar we find now is in the wrong dimension. Our only goal has become to find our way home to our own Antar… in our own dimension."**

**Quinn looked stunned and seemed to consider what Max had said for several long moments… "Our timer… it must have moved you out of the dimension you were in… into a different dimension."**

**Max nodded. "We could get back home if we knew where we were exactly. The problem is we have no point of reference from which to calculate the return route home now."**

"**I'm so sorry," Quinn said contritely, "We never meant to draw you guys into our predicament. You helped us get back home, and we doomed you to be lost out here in interdimensional space. I don't know what to say."**

**Max shrugged. "It wasn't your fault… It wasn't anybody's fault, really. It's just the way things turned out. We'll find our way back home eventually. It's just going to take us a little longer than we had planned."**

"**Maybe together Varec and I can figure out how to get you back home," Quinn said with a smile. **

**For Quinn, offering to work with someone else was actually fairly extraordinary. He was accustomed to working alone. Quinn had little patience for trying to explain anything to a "helper" who couldn't even begin to understand the scientific theories on which his timer was based. Varec was an exception, though. In Varec, Quinn recognized someone who not only understood his timer but who knew even more than he did about… probably everything. It was such an unusual occurrence that Quinn actually savored it. **

"**Have you ever found an Antar in any of the other dimensions you've been to and found that it was just way different," Wade asked.**

**Max nodded. "Plenty of times… about half the time. Half of the Antars we've been to were pretty normal… maybe different but… still kind of like ours; but one of the Antars wasn't even there. It was just a black hole."**

"**Omigod!" Wade gasped, "What happened to it?"**

**Max shrugged. "We don't know. Maybe they had a nuclear holocaust, or maybe it was a natural event. But all that was there was this black hole. No Antar."**

"**If you were that close to a black hole," Quinn said, with a puzzled look on his face, "You should have been pulled into it. It would be inescapable. Black holes are pure mass and gravity. Even light can't escape from them. That's why they're called 'black holes.' How did you avoid being pulled in?"**

**Max smiled and nodded toward Varec. "Gravity is not a problem if your ship has anti-gravity capability. The black hole was just a curiosity for us. We circled it and studied it… Well, Varec and Liz studied it. The rest of us just stared at it and wondered what happened. It was a somber moment… kind of like a funeral. It's hard to explain."**

**Professor Arturo nodded, and Alex noticed that Maggie was nodding, too. Her world had been destroyed by a super nova. If anyone understood, she did.**

"**One Antar we found had been taken over by our worst enemy from earth, an FBI agent named Daniel Pierce," Kyle said. "We totally could not understand how he could have got to Antar. Turned out he got trapped in the other granolith… the original one… while trying to capture Max, and it blasted off with him onboard. Once the people on that Antar saw Pierce for what he really was, though, they took care of the problem themselves… even if we did give them a little help."**

"**Oh," Maria said, waving her hand, "And on one Antar that we found, Michael and I were the king and queen… That was WAY cool! And on another one, Alex and Isabel were the king and queen, and we took them back to earth to visit their parents. That was cool, too, 'cause everybody on earth thought they were dead, so it was really emotional."**

"**And on another Antar that we visited," Tess added, "They had twelve different countries, and there was no monarchy. Max was the president of one of the twelve countries, called 'Western Coruz,' and Kivar, our old enemy, was the president of a large eastern peninsula called Traznyk. Nicholas was the high Admiral of Kivar's Navy, such as it was, and Michael was Max's vice president. Alex and Isabel were senators… I was, too, and so was Maria… and the Secretary of State was Maria's mom… Amy DeLuca!"**

**Maria almost choked on her food laughing and nodding, as she recalled their visit to the Antar that Varec had named, "#36 - Democratic Antar."**

"**Well, I have to admit, Amy made a darn good secretary of state," Max said, grinning, "She never took no for an answer and never took any guff. Wherever my double sent her to negotiate, they always threw in the towel and gave her whatever she wanted. She was definitely her country's Ace up the sleeve, if you know what I mean."**

"**More like their weapon of mass destruction," Michael said under his breath, with a trace of a smile on his lips. Maria gave him a quick elbow in the side, but then she smiled and nodded grudgingly… "Well, some of the other presidents may have thought so… especially Kivar. Mom made his life pretty miserable. That guy couldn't put together a Navy of three rowboats without Mom finding out and scuttling his plans. It frustrated Nicholas terribly, because he was Kivar's high admiral, and he probably could have just about floated his whole fleet in Kivar's royal bathtub.**

"**She was just looking out for her country," Max said, "It's what she was elected to do." **

**Michael nodded then grinned… "She WAS pretty impressive, wasn't she!" **

"**Well, I have some more exciting news for you," Varec said to Quinn and his group, "According to my calculations, we will be visiting another Antar in less than ten of your earth hours. So if this one turns out to be our Antar… you may get to see our home."**

**Liz, Maria, and Tess all gasped at once, hoping beyond hope that Varec's words would turn out to be prophetic and that this would finally be "the one." Even Max sighed deeply and smiled. Quinn looked at the other Sliders, and they all smiled. Apparently, the idea of visiting an alien planet… a friendly one… was an idea that they all approved of.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**As the New Granolith drew nearer to Antar, the crew and guests watched from the huge bridge window. Already they could make out the Golden Sea; it seemed to cover everything on this side of the planet.**

"**We need to go around to the other side," Michael said, "This side's all water. I don't remember there being this much water with no visible landmasses on any part of Antar."**

**Max nodded and put the New Granolith into a lower orbit around the planet… and they watched… and watched…**

"**It's… it's all water," Michael said, incredulous. "I don't see any land at all… anywhere!"**

**Max was silent; he just stared at the sea below. It was endless. Michael was right. There were no landmasses… There was only sea. It was a drowned planet.**

"**Let's go," Michael said, heartbroken, "There's no need to hang around. We'll just be wasting time we could be looking for our own Antar."**

**Max nodded solemnly, but as he passed his hand over the sensors to take the ship around and back out into space, a sound came over the high band-width radio receiver. At first, it sounded like static, but then Max felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, as a voice came over the air.**

"**To the vessel approaching our planet… you may dock at Port Orland. You have clearance. Please identify yourself."**

**Michael and Max both stared out the window of the ship, looking in vain for a landmass… any landmass… even a small island… but there was none. **

**Varec quickly picked up the communication device and replied to the call… "Uh… Antar, this is the ship, 'New Granolith.' We are visitors to your planet from another dimension… But we do not see any ports or land at all. Please direct us to Port Orland."**

**A moment later, the radio crackled again… "New Granolith, if this is your first time here… is your vessel capable of subsea travel?"**

"**Yes, it is," Varec replied.**

"**Then you will find Port Orland at the following coordinates: North 258 seb, West 397 kor, Depth 543 rys. We look forward to meeting you."**

"**Understood," Varec said, laying the communication device back down slowly. Then he looked around the room. Max and Michael had their mouths open in disbelief, and Varec knew that both of them had grasped the meaning of the conversation… so had all the others. They were going under the sea. **

**End of Chapter 35**

**tbc…**


	37. Chapter 36

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**141 Leagues Under**

**The Golden Sea **

**Chapter 36**

**XXXVI**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Michael took the New Granolith down at a 45 degree angle, and Max and the others braced instinctively, though unnecessarily, as the New Granolith impacted the surface and slipped effortlessly and quietly beneath the waves. Inside the ship, no one felt so much as a shudder, but the view through the bridge window changed dramatically… this was definitely not the view that they had grown accustomed to in space… the stars had been replaced by fish that now darted this way and that, dodging the huge ship.**

"**New Granolith," the voice came again over the communication device…**

**Varec picked up the transmission module and spoke into it… "This is the New Granolith." **

"**New Granolith, maintain a depth of 200 rys and bearing of 36 degrees north until further notice. It is imperative that you not deviate from this course or depth until advised to. This will keep your ship and our cities safe.**

"**Cities?" Maria asked, her eyes opening wide, "Did he just say 'cities?'"**

**Max replied with a nod.**

**Maria searched the waters below the ship through the bridge window but saw only fish… and more water… "Maybe they're like Atlanteans or something… you know… maybe they've turned into fish people… or mermaids and mermen! That would be so cool!"**

"**Or maybe they just built their cities beneath the sea because there's no land above sea level, and they pump air into the cities from above," Max suggested logically. "It's more likely than mermen."**

**Maria wrinkled her nose. "Well, I hope they're mermen. I want to see what Michael looks like with a fish tail."**

**Tess and Liz both giggled. "It might frustrate you, Maria," Tess said with a wink, "Mermen are all fish below the waist."**

"**I didn't say I wanted my Michael to be a merman or to have a fish tail… I just want to see what he would look like with one. Then I could have a Merman Michael, a King Michael, a mountain man Michael, and all the other Michaels we've seen, plus my Michael."**

**Tess and Liz giggled again, and this time Isabel laughed, too… "You're starting a collection of Michaels? Does Michael know about this?"**

**Maria just smiled. "Hey, you collect romance novels, and Liz collects… her diaries. I can have my fantasies if I want them."**

**Isabel shrugged then grinned playfully, as a thought came into her mind. "Maybe when we get back to our Antar, you can have the royal artisans make you some little figurines of a Merman Michael, a King Michael, a Mountain Man Michael, and all the others. Then you can put them all on a shelf and look at them whenever you want."**

"**Omigod! That's a great idea! Thanks, Iz!" Maria exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with joy at the thought.**

**Isabel looked at Liz, and both of them giggled. "I was being sarcastic," Isabel said with a shrug.**

**At that moment, a voice came over the communication device again… "New Granolith, please descend to 500 rys and assume a bearing of 49 degrees north by northeast. You will see the port in approximately two clicks. When the port becomes visible, you will see signals that will guide you the rest of the way."**

"**Understood," Varec said into the module in his hand.**

"**That's less than two minutes," Michael said, straining to see into the distance. He didn't have to wait long. First, everyone saw reflections of lights sparkling through the moving waters ahead, then immense domes appeared off in the distance. As these domes became clear, the crew and guests saw that some of them reached hundreds of feet upward toward the surface. In front of the New Granolith, at a depth of 543 rys… roughly 850 feet… sat a city of impressive proportions, with probably hundreds of thousands, and possibly even millions, of residents.**

**As the man on the communication device had promised, they also saw a series of signals that appeared to be guiding them onto some type of approach line. Michael brought the ship down until it was in line with the level indicated by the signals and slowed the ship to a crawl. The signs indicated that the ship should descend lower still, and Michael complied, then he saw it… In front of them, beneath a mammoth dome, was an opening large enough for the New Granolith to pass through. Michael looked at Max, and Max nodded; then together, they guided the ship under the opening. Once inside, the signals flashed "UP," and Michael took the ship back up again slowly, rising from the water into an air filled area easily three times the size of the New Granolith, which was no small ship.**

**As soon as the ship was above the surface, the controls were taken over automatically by a remote parking system that turned and oriented the ship and placed it neatly into a berth. **

"**It looks like we've arrived," Michael said. Max nodded, just as the voice came back over the communication module… **

"**New Granolith… you may disembark by any of your usual methods. Welcome to Antar!"**

"**Thank you," Max replied, then he turned to Michael and the others… "Michael, Jim, Alex, Liz, Maria, and Tess come with me. The rest of you wait until I call for you. I'm pretty sure the air and environment are safe for us… and that the people are friendly, but it's wiser to be safe than to be sorry."**

**The others nodded. The truth is, Max was almost 100 certain that it was safe, or he would not have taken more than one other person with him… and it would almost certainly not have been Michael. Max preferred not to risk both of their lives when it was unnecessary. Michael, too, obviously felt that it was safe. Had he not, he would have been objecting loudly to Max's going out first and would have insisted that he and Jim or he and Kyle go first instead.**

**The members of the first group transported down and found themselves standing on solid ground and breathing fresh air. They also saw that their host planet's representatives were already there waiting for them. Maria looked at the three men and two women in front of her. She didn't recognize any of them, but she did notice one thing right away… they did NOT have fish tails. In fact, they looked exactly like every other Antarian she had ever met… and exactly, well, normal. Maria sighed and smiled at her hosts.**

"**Welcome to Port Orlyn and the City of Coruz'Antar," one of the two women said, smiling. "We've been asked to take you to the palace. Is this all of you?"**

"**Well, actually," Max said, "There is another group waiting to transport down. We couldn't all transport at once." Max signaled the others, and within moments, Kyle, Varec, Isabel, Rayylar, Quinn, Maggie, Wade, Remmy, and Professor Arturo stood beside them.**

"**Now we're all here," Max said… "Except Jung-Jo."**

"**Oh, is he in charge of the ship," the young woman asked.**

**Max looked at Michael and smiled.**

"**He kind of is," Michael said, grinning, "He thinks so anyway. Jung-Jo is a pawgor."**

"**What's a pawgor," one of the two men asked.**

**Michael appeared stunned by the question. "You don't know what…" he started to ask, but then he realized that these people would not have pawgors… or a Nan-Torel forest. Theirs was a water world.**

"**It… takes a little explaining," Max said, "We'll introduce you to him later if you'd like."**

**The five members of the welcoming committee smiled and nodded.**

"**If you will all come with us," the first young woman said, "We will show you to our slider. It will take us to the palace."**

"**You slide?" Professor Arturo asked.**

"**Of course," the young woman replied, leading them to a somewhat strange-looking vehicle that vaguely resembled a very long and rather sleek-shaped limo with no wheels. The young woman opened the door, and Liz and Max got in, followed by Michael and Maria then all the others. Once they were all in, one of the young women got into the driver's seat and the other got in beside her. The three men got into a different vehicle and went off in a different direction. Then the young woman who was "driving" pressed a switch, and the vehicle rose from the ground.**

"**It's a hover craft," Liz said.**

**The driver turned the vehicle and guided it into a large clear tube that seemed like a perfect fit for it. A moment later, she pushed a switch, and something propelled them forward at an amazing speed.**

"**0 to 150 in two seconds! I like it!" Michael said, "I need to get one of these!"**

"**It's a slider," the young woman sitting beside the driver said, "It slides through the tubes propelled by jets of air inside the tubes. The air is brought down from the surface by powerful compressors. The same air that propels the sliders is then vented into the city to supply air to the inhabitants."**

"**Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" Professor Arturo said, watching intently as they jetted along through the transparent tube beneath the sea. **

**It took only about a minute and a half to get to the palace. As they approached, the driver pulled back on a yoke that resembled an airliner's yoke. Apparently, this remotely released air on the other end of the tube, or somewhere along the route, causing the vehicle to slow. Once it had slowed sufficiently, it coasted quietly and softly into the palace, which, like everything else here, was a dome… a very magnificent dome, though, both inside and out.**

**The slider coasted softly to a stop, and the young woman beside the driver jumped out and opened the door for the guests. One by one, they each got out and looked around.**

"**How do you like it?" a familiar-sounding voice asked… "Does it compare well with the others you've seen?"**

**Max and Liz turned around at the same time to face the previously unseen person, but both of them already knew who it was.**

"**It's… beautiful!" Liz from the New Granolith said to her double. "It's incredible!"**

"**Have you seen many other Antars during your travels in other dimensions," the hostess Liz asked.**

"**Too many," Liz said. Max nodded.**

"**I would love to hear about your travels. Max and Michael are out right now. They should be back soon, though. This will be a big surprise for them… a pleasant one."**

"**Are they tending to affairs of state?" Maria asked.**

"**Usually that's where they would be, but I convinced them to go fishing… to relax."**

"**Fishing? Under the sea?" Maria asked… "With a fishing pole?"**

"**Where else would you fish," the hostess Liz asked. "And no… they don't use poles, they use a net. One holds each end of the net, and they swim it around the fish and trap them in it… underwater."**

"**Oh, they're SCUBA diving then," Maria said.**

**Liz shook her head. **

"**No SCUBA?"**

**Liz shook her head again.**

"**How long can they stay out there?"**

**Liz shrugged. "Three… maybe four hours. Longer if they have to." **

"**Without air?"**

"**Well, without coming in to breathe… just with the oxygen they get from the water."**

**Maria turned and smiled at Isabel. "He's got a tail! He's a merman! I know it!"**

**Isabel rolled her eyes and smiled back. "Why don't the rest of them have tails then? Why would Michael and Max be the only ones who are different?"**

**Maria thought about it for a moment, then she turned to their hostess… "Can you stay under water that long, too?"**

**Liz laughed and shook her head. "I'm not Antarian. I might last two minutes… or three, gasping for air. Antarians can stay under water for hours."**

**At that moment, Max and Michael both walked into the room, dressed rather unroyally in swim trunks and nothing else, though Maria and Liz saw no reason to complain. Both Max and Michael did a double take when they saw the visitors, and they quickly ducked back out of the room, reappearing after hastily donning a shirt and pants.**

"**I didn't know we had guests," Max said, looking the guests over and noticing that some of them looked very familiar.**

"**No tail," Maria shrugged… "Darn!"**

"**Wait'll I tell her about Santa Claus and the Easter bunny," Isabel whispered to Liz, standing beside her. Liz smiled and shook here head. "You're mean, Iz!"**

**Isabel grinned.**

"**While you guys were out fishing, Dear," the hostess Liz said, "I got a call from Space Port Orlyn that we had guests coming, and I asked to have them sent over when they arrived. They're from a different dimension, and I think you may notice some resemblances."**

"**Another dimension? Another Antar?" Max asked, looking over the doubles from the New Granolith.**

"**We've seen quite a few other Antars," Max from the New Granolith said, "But it wasn't our intention. We seem to be having a little difficulty finding our own Antar again. We keep finding Antars that aren't ours."**

**The host Max nodded thoughtfully… "Interesting! Well, I'd love to hear about it. Maybe there's something we can do to help… or something Varec can do. Our Varec is the smartest person I know." Suddenly realizing that Varec's double from the New Granolith was standing right in front of him, Max hurried to clarify himself…**

"**But two Varecs should be even better than one, right?"**

**Liz patted Varec on the back, "Varec has been our lifeline more times than I can count."**

**The host Max smiled and nodded… "Ours, too."**

**At that moment, Maria let out a small gasp, and everyone turned and looked at her. The host Michael was holding her hand.**

"**Maria!" Isabel exclaimed.**

"**No! No! It's not what you think, Isabel! I swear it!"**

"**I don't have to think. I'm seeing it," Isabel said, turning to Michael from the New Granolith, who was standing with his mouth open.**

"**I was just seeing if he had gills," Maria said, "I thought I could do it without him noticing."**

"**She touched my collar… It tickled," Michael said, still holding her hand down.**

"**Maria," Liz said, trying to talk and laugh at the same time, "Have you ever known Michael not to notice it if someone touched him!"**

"**I just thought…" Maria stammered, turning crimson red and reclaiming her hand brusquely.**

"**For the record…" Michael said, rolling down his collar… "No gills. See? I'm not a fish. We can breathe underwater… but not as efficiently as fish, just enough to stay under for several hours."**

"**How…? if you don't have gills?" Isabel asked.**

"**Every pore on our bodies has adapted to obtain oxygen from the water when our lungs can't obtain enough," Max said, "Our pores don't look any different than yours, on the outside, but they're becoming increasingly specialized internally. As a people, we have been slowly gravitating toward a total underwater existence… since all the land masses sank beneath the sea some 100,000 years ago."**

"**Incredible!" Professor Arturo exclaimed excitedly, "Evolution in progress!"**

"**You mean they're going to turn into dolphins," Maria asked.**

"**No," Max said firmly, "We aren't changing into anything, we're just adapting to an environment that is, geologically speaking, still fairly new to us. We're still Antarians and always will be. Everything adapts to changing environment over enough time. If you spend a lot of time out in the sun, you tan, making it less likely that you'll burn. That's adapting. This is no different; it just takes longer. Changes that happen over many thousands of years can seem radical, but we aren't ever going to turn into dolphins… or fish. In another 100,000 years, we may be able to remain under water without having to return to breathe air in the cities every few hours, but we'll still be Antarians… and we'll need some place to sleep and eat and live, so we'll still return to our cities. Who knows, maybe we won't need to pump air into the cities anymore, but we'll always be Antarians, just as we are now. We just have specialized pores that breathe underwater… and a little webbing from the knuckles to the base of our fingers." Max spread his fingers so they could see. No one had noticed it until now. Even Maria, when Michael had grabbed her hand as she touched his collar, had not noticed.**

"**Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess grew up on earth," the hostess Liz said, "They were two years old when they came out of their pods and were found, and child welfare thought they had a congenital defect, because they had webbing at the base of their fingers, so the agency had the webbing surgically removed, and they grew up with no one else ever knowing. It was actually a good thing it was removed, because it made them look totally human. Later, when they returned to Antar, the Antarian doctors restored their webbing to the way it was supposed to be… on Antarians."**

"**As much as I'm enjoying this," the host Max said, "I would enjoy much more hearing about you instead of about me. But I insist it be over dinner and not while standing here in the welcoming parlor. You will stay for dinner won't you?"**

**Everyone looked at each other and then at Max again… then each of them smiled from ear to ear.**

"**I'll take that as a yes," Max said, smiling back. "Kyle will show you to separate rooms where you can relax and get ready for dinner. Dinner will be served in three hours." **

"**Kyle is here, too?" Liz from the New Granolith asked. Her hostess double nodded. "Kyle was the only one who came to Antar with Max and Michael the first time they came. They had to come back for us later. It's a long story."**

"**That's just like us!" Maria exclaimed… "Exactly!"**

**The host Max turned to his wife, Liz, with a questioning look…**

"**He's coming," Liz said, "He was in his room… polishing Buddha's tummy. They told him."**

"**EXACTLY like us!" both Liz and Maria said, looking at each other and giggling then looking at their own Kyle, who smiled a bit and shrugged. **

"**Except for all the water and stuff, of course," Maria amended.**

**As they spoke, the other Kyle appeared and smiled at the guests. "Are you ready?" **

**The group followed him into a corridor that led through the center of the palace. It was ornate and beautiful, and it reminded them quite a bit of the grand hallway in their own palace back on their own Antar. A lot here, they were discovering, was like their own Antar.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Two hours later, shortly before they would be heading to the royal dining hall to eat, Alex passed Maria in the hall outside their rooms. He smiled but didn't say anything as they passed each other. A moment later, Maria called to him… "Alex!"**

**Alex turned around. "Yeah?"**

"**I know what you're thinking!"**

**Alex smiled. "That's a pretty good trick, Maria, 'cause even I don't usually know that."**

"**Don't make fun of me, Alex. I didn't do anything wrong, you know."**

"**I know. I didn't think you did. A little… unusual, maybe… but not wrong… in a wrong sort of way."**

"**Exactly. You understand, don't you, Alex?"**

"**That you wanted to know if Michael had gills? Sure, I understand."**

"**No, not that. Well… that, too… but I meant about me saying I liked all these different Michaels and would like to have little figurines of them all."**

**Alex smiled. "I guess if I had a whole bunch of Isabels, I wouldn't be complaining… although I'm not sure I could handle it."**

**Maria smiled. "I love Michael. Michael is everything to me. I just can't get enough of him. I want him every way I see him. He's my Michael no matter where he is or what he looks like. I don't mean that I want to jump into another Michael's arms, just that each one makes me think of my Michael and how he would look if he looked like that… It's like dressing up a doll in different clothes… It's… exciting… especially if there's a way you can have them all. Can you understand?"**

"**I never dressed up a doll."**

**Maria sighed. "Noooo… about… you know… how I feel…"**

**Alex nodded and smiled. "Yeah… I understand, Maria. I really do."**

**Maria threw her arms around Alex and hugged him. "Thanks."**

"**No problem. I'm here for you, Maria… anytime, you know."**

"**I know. Thanks for that, too."**

**Alex smiled and walked back into his room, and Maria went back to hers and Michael's.**

"**Was that Maria you were talking to, Alex?" Isabel asked.**

"**Yeah."**

"**She was trying to convince you that nothing was going on between her and Michael's double, wasn't she?"**

"**Nothing was."**

"**I know."**

"**Isabel… when you see all these other Alex's… my doubles… do you ever wish you could have them all?"**

"**Why?"**

"**Well… I don't know. It's just something Maria said… about not being able to get enough of Michael because she loves him so much."**

**Isabel looked at Alex and smiled. "Alex, one of you is man enough for me. What would I ever do with more than one of you? You're perfect just like you are. I only need one of you."**

**Alex smiled and enclosed Isabel in his arms. "I guess so, but after talking to Maria… well, I kind of understand, too… I mean, from a Maria point of view, you know? It is kind of cute… her wanting all these different Michaels on her shelf so she can admire them all… because in a way, they're all Michael, and Michael is hers."**

**Isabel smiled. "Yeah, it is pretty adorable… like you say, in a Maria kind of way."**

"**So you think so, too?"**

**Isabel nodded. "But if you ever tell her I said so, I'll deny it!"**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Wade Welles left her room and walked down the long palace hallway, stopping occasionally to take in the amazing view through one of the many palace windows to the sea. But she did not stay long in one place. Deep inside, secretly, she hoped that she might run into Quinn and he would ask her… well, she dared not think about it, but she hoped. It did bring a smile to her face, though. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe Quinn did feel something special for her, too… like she felt for him… like she had ever since they were young. **

**In another part of the huge palace, Quinn Mallory had also gone out for a before-dinner walk. He found Maggie Beckett gazing out at the sea through one of the palace windows, and he walked up quietly behind her…**

"**Hi."**

**Maggie turned around and smiled. "Hi. I was just watching the fish… and thinking."**

"**What about?"**

"**My world. If only it could have just sunk slowly into the sea over time like this one did… instead of being wiped out by a super nova. There's nothing to go back to when a super nova…"**

**Quinn winced. This was not making what he had to say any easier… **

"**I'm so sorry, Maggie. But you guys did get a lot of people off of the planet before it was destroyed."**

**Maggie nodded. "Yeah! We did!" Then she sighed and looked into Quinn's eyes sadly… "And I don't know where any of them are now…"**

**Instinctively, Quinn reached out to Maggie and enclosed her in his arms; and she put her hand behind his head and kissed him… passionately. It might have appeared to be a happy scene… even as short as it was… two young lovers kissing… idyllic setting. But at the end of the hall, unseen by Quinn or Maggie, Wade wiped a tear from her eyes and turned and walked back the way she had come… quietly and without anyone knowing she had been there or that she had seen anything.**

"**Maggie," Quinn said, gently but firmly separating her from him… "What would you do if there was no 'us…' if we didn't have each other? Would you be…"**

**Maggie smiled. "Are you feeling insecure, Quinn? Don't be! I do love you… very much. You know I'm a strong person. I've always been a fighter… in more ways than one. But don't ever think I can't love you because of that."**

"**But what would you do if something happened to me, Maggie? Would you be able to pick up your life and move on?"**

**Maggie stared into Quinn's eyes, trying to discern the deeper meaning of what he was asking. "I love you, Quinn. If something happened to you, I guess… well, I KNOW… I'd be devastated. But we're fighters the two of us… I know you wouldn't want me to roll over and just die. You're strong, too."**

"**No… no, you're right. I wouldn't want you to give up or anything…"**

"**Are you having second thoughts, Quinn?"**

"**No! Well… yes… in a way…" Quinn took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment… "Maggie, I love you… I really do… and I always will…"**

"**But…? Quinn, when someone says it like that, there's always a 'but' attached."**

"**I think I may love someone else, too."**

"**May?"**

"**No, I… I do."**

"**Wade? Don't be so surprised, Quinn. I knew she was in love with you. I always wondered why you didn't do anything about it. I thought maybe you weren't interested in her."**

"**Was I the only one who didn't see it?" Quinn asked.**

**Maggie smiled. "The real question is how do YOU feel about HER? If you feel the same way, that's kind of going to be a problem… for us… you know?"**

**Quinn nodded. "I do. I do feel the same way about her. I just never thought about it. We were so close… I don't know, Maggie. I haven't said anything to Wade about this yet. We've always had this special… 'friendship' thing. If I say something to her now about… you know… getting married or being something more to each other… something different… she may run."**

**Maggie smiled. "I think she will! But not the way you think. I think she'll run TO you. Quinn… I'm not going to tell you that I'm thrilled about this, but you have to be sure of what you want. Go find Wade. I'm not going anywhere. If she dumps you, I'll let you live it down… some day."**

**Quinn smiled. "You're right. I have to tell her how I feel… whatever the consequences."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**A few minutes later, Quinn found Wade… alone, staring out a window into the sea…**

"**It's beautiful, isn't it!"**

**Wade smiled and nodded silently but did not turn around or let Quinn see her face. Instead, she continued to stare out at the sea. Quinn put one hand on Wade's shoulder and noticed that she flinched, but she did not remove his hand.**

"**There's something that I have to tell you, Wade, and I should have realized it a long time ago. I don't know why I never did. Sometimes other people see what we --you or I-- already know so deeply in our hearts that we… missed it altogether." Quinn took another deep breath. "I'm… I'm trying to say that I love you… and that I'd… like for us to be something more than just friends. I always knew it. It just took someone else to make me see it."**

**Wade smiled. "We are more than just friends, Quinn. We're special friends… bosom buddies. That will never change. But you belong with Maggie."**

"**Well, see, that's just it, Wade… I don't think I do. My real feelings are for you… they always were. I know that now."**

**Wade sighed and stared back out the window, trying to keep Quinn from seeing the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. The truth is, Wade wasn't angry with Quinn; she was trying to protect him… from what she was convinced now was a noble "delusion" that he loved her, but only that. Seeing him with Maggie convinced her that he and Maggie belonged together… that their true happiness was tied up in each other. It was a hard pill to swallow, especially when he was practically proposing to her now. Summoning all the courage she had in her, Wade turned and looked Quinn squarely in the eyes… **

"**But I don't… I don't… love YOU, Quinn… not that way." **

**Wade choked on the words as she said them, and they tasted bitter, but she had said them. In her heart, she knew that it was the right thing to do… for Quinn. As for herself, well, she would get over it… someday… maybe… in a million years.**

**End of Chapter 36**

**tbc…**


	38. Chapter 37

**Sliding Into Antar**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Salt Also Comes In Tears **

**Chapter 37**

**XXXVII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

"**It can't be!" Alex said, waving his arms in the air excitedly, "I talked to both of them, and they both love each other. Quinn can't marry someone else! He loves Wade!"**

"**Well he's marrying Maggie," Liz said with a shrug.**

"**I was sure he would ask Wade… I was sure! He lost his confidence! That has to be it!"**

**Liz shook her head. "Wade turned him down."**

**Alex sputtered for a moment and looked as though he had just been struck by lightning.**

"**That can't be true, Liz… It just can't be… Wade's whole existence is tied up in Quinn. Anyone whose brain had more than one sparking neuron could see it!"**

**Liz shrugged. "Well, she did it. You know, Alex, maybe you can't fix all the wrongs in the universe or be the universe's cupid. I know you feel strongly about this, but sometimes… lots of times really… people make mistakes in relationships. I know it sucks, but it happens."**

"**Not if they would consult me first," Alex replied with a distraught look but a wink. **

**Liz smiled. "You're just going to have to let things take their course, Alex. It's their lives."**

"**To ruin?"**

**Liz nodded. "To make… or to ruin… their choice."**

"**Maggie does not have the same depth of attachment to Quinn that Wade does, Liz! Wade would march into Hell with Quinn and never look back; Maggie would march with him to the gate, but Quinn would be on his own after that. Besides, Maggie had a former life that occupies a big place in her life… maybe a bigger place than Quinn does or ever will."**

**Liz smiled and nodded… "For what it's worth, Alex, I agree with you. But you've done all you can do. It's their lives."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**As the palace clock struck six o'clock, or, to be perfectly precise, the Antarian equivalent of six o'clock, which looked quite a bit different, the crew from the New Granolith and their guests, the Sliders, entered the grand dining room through the large entryway. It all looked very much like their own palace… except for the omnipresent aquarium-like windows to the sea. Max had been very impressed by these, but he couldn't imagine any way to have them in his own palace… short of sinking their own Antar under the sea… which was out of the question. He even considered the possibility of having huge aquariums built outside the palace and placing windows to them throughout the palace. But, then, he didn't want to seem overly envious of this Antar. They had their pleasures, and his Antar had its pleasures. In the end, it all balanced out… but he had to admit that he did love those huge romantic windows to the sea.**

**The host and hostess, Max and Liz, welcomed everyone as they entered and then showed them to their seats. Liz noticed that the table was exactly like the one in their own palace and capable of seating up to seventy-eight people, just like theirs… except that it appeared to be made of a different type of wood. It was set lavishly, and the food, which was already on the table, smelled divine.**

**As soon as everyone was present and seated, the host Max held up a long-fluted goblet filled with a rosy blue colored liquid and offered a toast… "To our friends from beyond our known dimension."**

**This got a rousing cheer from the other "Aquarian Antarians" present.**

"**To our hosts," Max from the New Granolith said, lifting his own goblet in turn… "And to new friendships!"**

"**Indeed!" and "Hear! Hear!" were heard from all around the table from everyone present. Then, three servers went around the table removing the lids from all the pots and plates, allowing the delightful aromas to waft freely through the room and causing Michael's stomach to growl. Maria looked at him and grinned.**

"**Sorry. It smells good… and I'm really hungry."**

**There was food already on their plates, which also had been covered; and these, too, were now uncovered by the servers.**

**The host Max raised his goblet again. "I want to hear your stories, but I suggest that we begin eating first."**

"**A wise man… a very wise man," Michael mumbled appreciatively, taking a bite of something that he did not recognize but that tasted divine. After several bites, he paused and took another drink from the goblet…**

"**Jubish?"**

**The host Max smiled. "It's our own blend of Jubish, Corvian Brandy, and Ke'cje da'nish."**

"**No wonder it tastes good!" Michael said, "Corvian Brandy is like liquid gold… and Ke'cje da'nish will knock your socks off! What am I eating? This is great!"**

"**That is the specialty of our house," Liz said, smiling, "It's Kryyken Antar… Kryyken ink bladder stuffed with pink deep sea eel, pargi fish, and purple-golden seaweed. It's slow cooked for three to four hours in Kryyken ink and Corvian Brandy."**

**Michael smiled and his eyes got a bit wider, but then he shrugged and took another bite… "Well, it's really good!"**

"**I don't think they have any yegg burgers and Tabasco on this planet," Alex said with a grin, "No land… so everything is seafood."**

"**That's pretty much true," the hostess Liz said, "But we do import some foods from dry planets. Obviously, they're not our specialties. They're more of an exotic item here."**

"**Well, I think this is delicious," Professor Arturo said, swallowing a small bite of stuffed Kryyken and patting his mouth with his napkin, "I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite like it. The texture and flavor are a bit like squid… or calamari… but much more like Maine lobster and sea scallops… and it seems to be imbued with a smattering of other delicate yet tasty flavors. I even detect a taste like veal in it. I'm sorry, but that is the only way I know to describe it."**

**Quinn nodded, swallowing another bite himself. "It has a ton of flavor. It's really quite good!"**

"**It is," Maggie and Wade both agreed.**

**The hostess Liz smiled… "Thank you! As I said, the Krykken Antar is our specialty. The Kryyken ink gives it a lot of its flavor… so does the purple-golden seaweed."**

"**And the Corvian Brandy," Kyle said.**

**The host Max nodded and smiled… "The Kryyken is a large squid-like creature that is found only in the Golden Sea and only at depths greater than three thousand feet. It can be two hundred feet long, including the arms or tentacles, and thirty feet in girth."**

"**Wow! That would make some BIG calamari rings," Isabel said.**

**Alex laughed and nodded.**

"**Aren't you worried that they'll attack your cities," Kyle from the New Granolith asked.**

**Max shook his head. "None of our cities is deeper than 1200 feet… and the Kryyken has never been known to rise above 3000 feet. So we're safe."**

"**If the Kryyken were to rise to a depth less than 3000 feet," the Aquarian Varec added, "It would rupture because of its own internal pressure, which cannot be equalized at the lesser depths."**

**The Aquarian Michael nodded… "When we catch a Kryyken, we have to take care of that little matter before we bring it into the city. An exploding Kryyken could do a lot of damage."**

"**You said that your jubish is mixed with Ke'cje da'nish," Michael from the New Granolith said, "Do Ke'cjes live on your Antar, too?"**

"**They do," the host Max replied, nodding, "They live in the Ke'cje Valley."**

"**But… I thought this planet was all under water?"**

**The host Max nodded. "It is. In fact, their valley city is the one at 1200 feet… it's the deepest of all our cities."**

"**The deepest and the highest," Liz from the New Granolith said… "The Ke'cjes' valley is the highest occupied land on our planet… and the deepest on yours. They live in extremes."**

"**They're shape shifters," Michael said, "They are extreme."**

"**We met the Ke'cjes on one of the planets we were on," Liz from the New Granolith said. "Their leader was a woman named Ta'lan, and she had an adopted son named Rahn who helped our doubles escape from the military and the FBI on their earth. Ta'lan and Rahn were both very nice. We had dinner with them in the Ke'cje Valley, and they gave us a gift to take home."**

"**What is it," the hostess Liz asked.**

**Liz shook her head and shrugged. "We don't know yet. We have to find Ta'lan's double on our own planet and give her a letter from her double in the other dimension… and then our Ta'lan on our Antar is supposed to give us the gift."**

"**I wonder what it is," the Aquarian Kyle said, "It sounds mysterious."**

"**They're a mysterious people… most shape shifters are," Liz said, "But the Ke'cjes are very nice."**

"**That's not the reputation they have," the host Max said, "People here are afraid of them."**

**Liz nodded. "People are always afraid of anyone who's different. Shape shifters are different. The Ke'cjes realized this, and they capitalize on it by encouraging the rumors. It keeps others away from their valley."**

"**Hmmm… perhaps I should visit them… with Liz," Max said, "I heard they were autonomous and did not recognize the royal family."**

"**That's not quite true," Liz said, "They consider themselves to be loyal Antarians and subjects of the king, but they also have their own Ke'cje government and rules. They are very independent… but still loyal."**

"**I hope that is also true of the Ke'cje people here," Max said, "I will definitely plan to make a trip to meet them and find out. In fact… why don't we do that tomorrow! You can go with us!"**

"**Uh, little problem there, bro," Michael from the New Granolith said, raising his hand, "We don't have those specialized sweat gland thingies that you guys breathe with underwater. When we got there, we'd be drowned."**

"**That's not a problem," Michael's Aquarian double said, taking another bite of his dinner.**

"**Well, not for you maybe," Michael from the New Granolith retorted, "But we would prefer not to drown, thank you."**

"**You won't drown," his double replied, "We'll go in a slider."**

"**Oh… You have slider tubes to the Ke'cje Valley?"**

"**No. The tubes can only take us as far as a couple of cities on the way to the Ke'cje Valley. From there, we would have to leave the tubes. The slider can navigate underwater on its own. It's a lot slower than in the tubes, but like you said, the tubes don't go to the Ke'cjes' valley." **

"**So the sliders are like submarines, too?"**

**Michael thought about this description for a moment then nodded… "Sub-marine… that would be an accurate descriptive name for our sliders, I guess. They do not need the tubes to operate; the tubes just give them speed… and bring air to the cities."**

"**Then it is a done deal," the Aquarian Max said, "I hope you will stay and go with us. Your knowledge of the Ke'cjes would be most helpful."**

**Max from the New Granolith looked at Michael, and Michael shrugged, then he looked at Liz. Liz smiled… "I don't know, Max… I'd kind of like to see the Ke'cje Valley here. And I'd love to see Rahn again!"**

**Max nodded and looked back at his Aquarian double… "Okay… tomorrow… we'll go with you."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**On her way back to her room, after dinner, Wade stopped again to look out one of the palace's windows to the sea. It was peaceful out there in the sea; at least, it gave the appearance of being peaceful. Wade watched as a couple of small eels entwined their bodies around each other in a sort of age-old mating ritual, and she smiled. If only it could be so simple. Things were never simple for humans. She sighed and kissed the window, symbolically giving the two little eels her blessing, and when she kissed the window, she tasted salt. Momentarily alarmed, Wade stared at the window, but it wasn't leaking. Then she wiped her hand over the corner of her mouth and up her cheek and nodded… Salt comes in tears, too.**

**End of Chapter 37**

**tbc…**


	39. Chapter 38

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**A Very ****Remarkable Trip **

**Chapter 38**

**XXXVIII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**As morning arrived in the underwater kingdom of Antar, two sliders silently departed from the palace. Inside one of the sliders were ten Aquarian Antarians… Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Isabel, Alex, Kyle, Varec, and the two young women who piloted the vehicle… and Max, Michael, Jim, and Varec from the New Granolith. Inside the other slider were Quinn, Wade, Maggie, Professor Arturo, Remmy, Liz, Maria, Alex, Isabel, Tess, Rayylar, and Kyle from the New Granolith, plus the two young women who piloted their slider… and one other individual, Jung-Jo, whom they had picked up from the ship, with the blessings of the Aquarians. **

**The two young women piloting this slider spent a lot of time looking over their shoulders. The guests, however, spent their time watching the scenery, entranced, as their sliders surged forward through the tube out of the palace then left the city of Coruz'Antar, headed for the next nearest city on the way to the Ke'cjes' valley. **

**As for Jung-Jo, he was enjoying every moment, looking very much like he wanted desperately to stick his head out a window somewhere and enjoy the breeze… if there had been a breeze… and if there had been a window. Instead, he sat behind the young woman who occupied the seat next to the driver, an "arrangement" that was changed when the others noticed that every time Jung-Jo swung his head from one side to the other to see the fish going by, his long tongue slapped the poor girl on the back of the head. Already, this had produced "pawgorlicks," hair standing out sideways in both directions, on the back of her head… and one very paranoid young lady who was certain that at any moment she was going to be eaten whole… at least, she prayed that it would be whole… and fast… and painless.**

**It took sixteen minutes, at a speed of approximately 150 miles per hour in the tube, to reach the next city. This gave the visitors time to see a lot of the underwater environment; and even though the closest objects were sometimes a blur, the water was extraordinarily clear, and there was plenty to see in the near distance. All too soon, the slider was sliding into Merplex'Antar, Antar's second biggest city in this Aquarian world, and a city that did not exist on any other Antar that they had been to, including their own. Merplex'Antar appeared to be a very modern city, but then everything on this Antar had a modern look to it. That was probably because it had to be scientifically advanced in order to survive under the sea. **

**The slider continued on through Merplex'Antar, passing through several large domed buildings that were under a much larger dome that covered the entire "downtown" sector of the city. They recognized one of the internal domes as a mall, because there were numerous different stores and shops inside it, and it was a designated stop and exit point. However, the slider vehicles did not stop for shopping on this occasion. Two other stops that they passed may have been merely access points, places where sliders could access the tubes.**

**Within minutes, they had passed through Merplex'Antar and were speeding toward the outlying cities of Jarnat, Aluzia, Chanesio, and Grelligo. These were names that the group from the other dimension did recognize. Jarnat was where the Kiren mist was first used successfully, Aluzia was the provider of Antar's golden eggs, and Grelligo was famous for its hallmark Grelligo soup. As for the Chanesio "region," as it was known in the other dimension… well, it had a permanent place in Michael's memories as the place where he came out of hyperspace the first time he tried out the jet bike that Varec had given him. The wind blast from reentry blew the hair off of a field full of shebbles, leaving them pink and bald and costing the royal treasury, which had to recompense the shebble herders for their losses, since the shebbles' hair was a marketable commodity. Max paid it, considering it worth every kyrin for the humor value alone, but Michael still reddened slightly whenever he thought about it. That never kept him from retelling the story, though, to anyone who would listen.**

**It took twenty-four minutes to reach Jarnat from Merplex'Antar. Jarnat was a small city, entirely enclosed under a single huge dome, and the sliders slid through the city in less than twenty seconds without slowing down. The next city, Aluzia, was only eight minutes from Jarnat. Even in this underwater world, Max and Michael both recognized this city immediately… maybe it was because of all the signs advertising their claim to fame… Aluzian golden eggs.**

"**I didn't know you had hens here," Michael said, turning to his Aquarian double. But the Aquarian Michael just looked at him, puzzled… "Hens?"**

"**Yeah… those things that make golden eggs," Michael retorted in a sort of "duh" tone of voice.**

"**Oh," his double said, scratching his chin… "Kryykens?" Actually, the Aquarian Michael did know what hens were… he had lived on earth when he was growing up. But he enjoyed jerking his other-dimension double around a bit.**

**Michael stared at his Aquarian counterpart for a moment… "Hens… you know… feathers, wings, beaks, cluck, cluck, cluck… ta-da! Eggs!"**

**The Aquarian shook his head… "Long tentacles, slippery, beaks, swishing, growling sound… ta-da! Eggs!"**

"**Squid eggs?"**

"**Squid eggs… fish eggs… eel eggs… the Aluzians turn them all golden through some process that no one else has ever been able to copy. It gives the eggs a rich golden color and an even richer flavor." **

"**Squid eggs?" Michael repeated, incredulous. Well, it made sense. This was an underwater world, so the Aluzians would not have their famous hens. But squid eggs…?**

"**Ooh! Golden caviar!" Michael exclaimed, suddenly putting a whole new face on the Aluzian enterprise. "They might just have a market after all!"**

"**A pretty BIG market," the Aquarian Michael replied, "Aluzian golden eggs are famous all over Antar and on a number of other planets."**

"**Does Grelligo produce their famous Grelligo soup here, too?"**

"**They do," the Aquarian replied, "Although I suspect it's made a bit differently than the Grelligo soup you may be accustomed to."**

**Michael nodded. "Yeah, they probably make it out of seaweeds here."**

**The Aquarian nodded. "That… among other things."**

**It had taken three minutes to pass through Aluzia, which was a fairly large and spread out city, though not as large as the Chanesio region that lay ahead. Eleven minutes after passing through Aluzia, the sliders reached the city of Chanesio'Antar and slid into the first of several massive domes. This had been a shebble herding region in the other dimension, the one the New Granolith group had come from, and it was huge, though it had been only sparsely populated there. Chanesio, in the other dimension, had mountains, pastures, and lots and lots of land… uninhabited land. This Chanesio, as they would soon see, was equally large and spread out… and mountainous; but it had a much larger population… and not a shebble anywhere.**

"**What do they do in Chanesio on this Antar," Michael asked.**

"**They manufacture sliders, like the one we're riding in," the Aquarian Michael said. "Chanesio is our biggest manufacturing center. They also manufacture space ships… for us and for other planets."**

**Michael nodded. "Shebble herders to manufacturing center… interesting. That's different!"**

**It took a full seven minutes to pass through Chanesio'Antar. They had to pass through five domes, each of which could have been a respectable-sized city itself. Max and Michael noticed the fact that the slider tube went up and down a lot here; this was a mountainous region. At one point, in fact, they passed through, rather than over, an underwater mountain that rose over a thousand feet upward, to within nine feet of the surface. If it were only a little higher, it would be this Antar's only dry land above sea level.**

**Twelve minutes after leaving Chanesio, the sliders came to Grelligo'Antar. Though not a very large city, Grelligo had the singular distinction --besides producing Grelligo soup-- of being the furthest point that the slider tubes went to. It took a mere sixty seconds for the sliders to pass through Grelligo, but they were now at the end of the tubes. The young pilots expertly maneuvered their sliders through designated exit tubes and emerged into the sea. Now, they were on their own… at the mercy of the sea… but the pilots seemed confident and unfazed. **

**The sliders operated differently outside the tubes. They had their own power source, a series of hidden water jets underneath, at the rear of the vehicle, and a guidance system that used small, rotating jets to turn and control the vehicle. But even outside the tubes, they still ran smoothly and dependably… and the view seemed to only got better and better the further they went, perhaps because now they were going slow enough to see even the closest objects clearly!**

**Partly because of the distance and partly because the sliders could no longer travel as fast as they had in the tubes, it took almost fifty-five more minutes to reach the outskirts of the mountains surrounding the Ke'cje Valley. Max noticed that they had been going deeper, which made sense, because the Ke'cjes' valley was the deepest inhabited area on this Antar, at 1200 feet. But now, it appeared that they would have to go over the mountains; and these, like the Chanesio Mountains, were no small mountains. Several of the peaks, in fact, reached to within twenty feet of the surface. **

**The young pilots plotted a course over the lowest mountain, one that rose to within 400 feet of the surface, and took their sliders upward. As they crested the mountain, at a depth of 385 feet, they saw a magnificent sight… six huge, manta-ray-like creatures swimming together in formation. Each creature easily measured at least 25 feet across the wings and had seven 30-foot-long trailing tails and a ridge of multiple, 10-foot-long, training filaments down the middle of their backs. This drew "ahs" from everyone in the other-dimension group, including the Sliders. But as they descended toward the valley on the other side of the mountain, the manta-ray-like creatures followed, surrounding the smaller sliders and occasionally bumping them. Max noticed that the young pilots' looks began to change from one of total confidence to worried, and he quickly consulted with Michael. They agreed between themselves to wait and see if it got any worse. So far, the bumps had only been minor. These huge creatures could easily have crushed them if they had wished to. It was probably only accidental bumps by curious creatures… or maybe the creatures were testing the sliders to see what they were. Either way, so far, they had not actually shown themselves to be hostile, merely intimidating.**

**A fairly harrowing fourteen minutes later, the two sliders safely approached the dome over the Ke'cje Valley, and their pilots searched for a way in. They found it on the far side of the dome, well-concealed under a huge outcropping of the mountain. Max realized that it was probably only by sheer luck that they had found it as quickly as they did… and maybe at all. Obviously, these were a people who valued their privacy. And they were about to be invaded by outsiders.**

**The two sliders coasted through the opening under the dome, and the manta-ray-like creatures followed. When the sliders rose into the air-filled sector of the dome, the mantas rose, too, to the top of the water. There, they began to change… **

"**What's happening?" the Aquarian Maria asked.**

"**They're Ke'cjes… shape shifters," Michael from the New Granolith said, realizing the truth. "They were checking us out… and probably trying to scare us away."**

"**Well, it was working," the Aquarian Maria said. **

**Judging from the looks on the others' faces, Michael could see that they agreed. But they were here. Now they had to meet these strange people who were almost never seen outside of their own reclusive valley… the legendary, and often feared, Ke'cje shape shifters.**

**End of Chapter 38**

**tbc…**


	40. Chapter 39

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Ke'cjes **

**Chapter 39**

**XXXIX**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The young pilots maneuvered their sliders over the nearest dry land inside dome and set the vehicles down, then they opened their own doors and got out, letting the others out after them. Max and Michael got out quickly and found themselves face to face with the six Ke'cjes who had followed them into the dome…**

"**Who are you," one of the Ke'cjes, a surprisingly good-looking young man, asked.**

"**I am Zan… King of Antar," the Aquarian Max said, "We came here to meet you… and, we hope… to be your friends."**

**The Ke'cje appeared doubtful. "You are King Zan?"**

"**I am."**

"**He is," Maria agreed, vouching for him.**

"**We would like to see Ta'lan," Liz said.**

**The first Ke'cje looked at Liz suspiciously… "How do you know Ta'lan?"**

"**We… well, some of us… met her before. Actually, we met her double in another dimension, not your Ta'lan. But we became friends, and we wanted to meet her and have her meet our… uh, doubles here."**

"**We come in friendship," the Aquarian Max said, "Just as our doubles became friends with your people in another dimension." **

"**The Ke'cjes have no friends… outside of our valley," the second Ke'cje retorted, "We are feared; others are suspicious of us, because we are different."**

**Max nodded. "I know. Rath and I were once feared for the same reason… so were Vilandra and Ava."**

"**But you are like the others," the first Ke'cje said, "Why would they fear you?"**

"**We lived on another planet before we returned here to retake the throne from Kivar. The people on that planet had no powers of the sort that most Antarians consider routine and normal."**

**The Ke'cje nodded. "So they feared you… and you had to keep your lives and your identities closely guarded… and secret."**

"**Exactly," Michael said, realizing that the Ke'cje was also telling him why they, as a people, were secretive and guarded and kept to themselves in their own valley.**

"**I cannot change the nature of people… nor can I promise you that I can do that," Max said, "But I can promise you friendship and peace with the royal family and our friends… and a government that will not see you as its enemies but as friends and allies… if that is what you will be."**

**The Ke'cjes looked at each other and then nodded. "We will take you to Ta'lan. Come with us."**

**The six shapeshifters walked off down a trail, and their visitors followed. As they walked, the outsiders were surprised to see things they never expected to see here… trees … and flowers… beautiful flowers… on the ground and on the trees!**

"**These are real!" the Aquarian Liz whispered breathlessly, smelling and touching the garden flowers and staring at the trees. Omigod, they're real!"**

"**Where did you get these," the Aquarian Michael asked, surprised, "These things disappeared a hundred thousand years ago when the last land sank beneath the sea. I've only seen them in history books… and painted plaster replicas in museums."**

**The shapeshifters smiled, perhaps for the first time since the outsiders had arrived… "We have had them… always. Our people brought trees and flowers with them when the first dome was built, almost a hundred thousand years ago. We have protected them and propagated them through the centuries. They are our treasures."**

"**Fantastic!" Professor Arturo exclaimed, genuinely impressed. **

**Wade reached up to smell some of the fragrant flowers on a tree branch that was hanging down near the walk.**

"**Uh, I wouldn't do that… not those flowers," Liz from the New Granolith said, but Alex stopped her, shaking his head… "Don't tell her."**

"**Alex!"**

"**I have my reasons."**

"**Unh… I don't know Alex…"**

"**Trust me, Liz!"**

**Liz sighed. "Well, alright… maybe… I don't know…"**

"**You know you trust me…" Alex said confidently, flashing Liz a big grin. Liz gave him a friendly shove… "Don't get too cocky, Alex. I hope you know what you're doing."**

"**I do."**

"**These trees smell divine," Wade said, spinning around several times and doing a little pirouette. "I could live here and be happy forever!"**

"**Delightful indeed!" Professor Arturo said, as the scent of the trees' blossoms reached him, too. "I don't believe I've ever smelled anything like it! The fragrance is simply irresistible!"**

"**I like it," Remmy said, starting to look a little misty-eyed and dreamy.**

**Quinn smiled and just looked happy… a little too happy. Maggie was hanging onto him as though she was afraid he would go "poof" if she let go. The Aquarian Antarians also seemed to be getting a bit overly happy. The two young slider pilots were doing pirouettes under the trees with Wade now, and Maria was hanging onto Michael, with a dreamy look in her eyes. The Aquarian Liz even seemed to be doting on her Max more than usual, if that was possible, and he was smiling from ear to ear. **

**A little further down the walk, Professor Arturo and Remmy started doing pirouettes with the girls, and Professor Arturo performed a beautiful saute followed by an Arabesque that no one would have thought him capable of. The six shapeshifters looked at each other and smiled, then they looked at the Aquarian Max, the king… "Did you really come in peace?"**

"**We're a peaceful people," Max said, a bit giddily, "We do not wish harm on anyone."**

"**Are you afraid of us?"**

"**Naw!" Max waved his hand dismissively and smiled, "I've seen things before… scarier things. We just want to get to know you and be friends."**

**The shapeshifters smiled. **

"**Well, I was afraid of those big honkin' things you guys turned into out there in the water," Remmy said. "I thought you were going to crush us."**

"**Are you afraid now?" one of the shapeshifters asked.**

"**Nooooo…" Remmy giggled, putting an arm around the guy as though they were best friends who had been drinking together all night in a bar. "I like you! You're COOL!"**

"**Cool is good," Max from the New Granolith said, smiling and at the same time breathing as shallowly as he could and keeping one hand over his nose. The other members of the New Granolith's crew were doing the same thing. This made the shapeshifters smile again…**

"**So some of you HAVE been to our valley before."**

"**Oh yeah! We have!" Max said through his fingers. Liz nodded and smiled, keeping one hand over her nose and taking short breaths.**

"**Quinn," Wade said, suddenly taking Quinn by his free arm, "Let's get married… right here… right now."**

"**He's mine!" Maggie objected, pulling him back by the other arm, "He loves me!" Maggie smiled at Quinn… a bit predatorily, it seemed to Wade. **

"**He loves me more," Wade said, pulling Quinn the other way again.**

"**Girls! Girls!" Quinn exclaimed, "Don't pull me apart. There's enough of me to go around."**

**Wade shook her head vehemently… "I want you all! I have to have you all!"**

"**Can't have him," Maggie said, pulling him back.**

"**Quinn," Wade pouted, looking at him with puppy dog eyes, which she would probably never live down if she remembered any of this after it was over.**

**Maggie reached around Quinn with both arms and pulled him against herself tightly.**

**Wade took Quinn's arm and tried to pull him away, but instead, slowly, she collapsed and crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Maggie smiled victoriously, staggered for a moment, then fell to the ground, too. Quinn looked back and forth at the two girls, deeply concerned but too dizzy to lean over for fear he would keep going and plow head first into the ground. Two shapeshifters picked the girls up, and another supported Quinn…**

"**They'll be fine," one of them said, smiling, "Once we're past the Qu'rosk trees."**

"**We know," Liz from the New Granolith said.**

**Just as the Ke'cje had promised, once they were past the fragrant, flowering Qu'rosk trees, both Wade and Maggie began to stir and reawaken, and Quinn regained his strength. The others, too, soon returned to normal. It was impossible to know exactly how much any of them remembered. If any of them did remember anything, they probably hoped that no one else did… or would… ever!**

**The shapeshifters led their visitors** **over a footbridge and a circular fishpond then along a small but quaint, neatly kept little lane for a distance of about six blocks, stopping in front of a nice-looking if surprisingly modest-sized house. It was only at this moment that Max and the others realized what they were seeing… Houses! Real, honest to goodness houses! Granted, they were under a huge dome… the whole valley was… but these were actual houses, just like the ones they had seen in the Ke'cje Valley on land in the other dimension. The house in front of them had an upstairs and a downstairs and looked like it might have two, maybe three bedrooms… assuming it was built similarly to an earth home for its size.**

**The shapeshifter touched a small module on the door, and a brief lilting melody played softly inside the house. A moment later, Ta'lan came to the door and opened it by touching her finger to something that looked like a lock. Then she led the group into a living room or parlor and motioned toward several comfortable-looking chairs and a sofa…**

"**Please! Sit down. Be comfortable. I heard that you were coming. Word travels fast here."**

**Everyone sat down, and Ta'lan dismissed herself momentarily. Jung-Jo stretched out on the floor beside Jim and yawned. The inside of the house seemed much larger than the outside would have suggested. On the far side of the spacious living room, there was a large convex window that reached all the way to the floor. It looked like a clear, solid membrane. To their left, there was a wide semicircular stairway with a banister that looked surprisingly earthlike. The chairs, too, were fairly normal, though their design was clearly alien. The sofa was long, perhaps fourteen feet, and had a large number of contours that really didn't seem to match any known body shape… well, any that they had ever seen, anyway, though the overall look was very interesting… even elegant in an alien sort of way. Each end of the sofa had a very ornate arm, partially wrapped in a plush, soft, velvety fabric. It was very much like the sofa in the other Ta'lan's house, in the other dimension… in fact, the whole house was very much like the other Ta'lan's house in the other dimension.**

**Ta'lan returned to the parlor with a large tray that held numerous very tall, thin, flute-like glasses filled with a bluish-amber liquid. The New Granolith crew and the Aquarian Antarians… even those who had never been to the Ke'cje's Valley… knew what it was. They had seen it before. But the Sliders had no idea.**

"**Are you sure this is safe for humans," Remmy asked, holding the glass up and examining the sometimes bluish, sometimes amber liquid in the light. **

**Max from the New Granolith nodded and grinned. "It's da'nish. Try it."**

**Remmy took a deep breath and tilted the glass bottoms up, while Max watched and smiled at the look that came over his face. Then Remmy took another deep breath and slowly let it out again… "Wow! That was good!"**

**With that endorsement, the other Sliders tried it, too, most of them only sipping it.**

**Ta'lan picked up another tray and passed it around. It looked like large cookies.**

"**Qnist'as," Liz from the New Granolith said, remembering having had them in the other dimension… "They keep you from getting plastered on the da'nish." **

**Ta'lan nodded. "They keep you sober, yes… and they also go well with da'nish."**

**Each of them took a Qnist'a and ate it. **

"**Is everything in this valley intoxicating," Maggie asked.**

**Ta'lan smiled. "Only to outsiders. Long ago, we became accustomed to the Qu'rosk trees… and we always eat Qnist'as with our da'nish. We rarely get outsiders here in the valley… but when we do, the Qu'rosk trees always let us know their intentions. The fragrance of the Qu'rosk flowers makes people talkative… and amazingly honest."**

"**Cool! lie detector trees!" Remmy said, laughing, "I'd love to see them!"**

**Ta'lan smiled. "You did."**

"**I did? When?"**

"**On the way here," Liz from the New Granolith said. **

"**I don't remember that," Remmy said, looking puzzled. "What did I say?"**

**Liz smiled. "Don't worry, Remmy. We won't tell."**

"**What did I say?" Remmy asked again, looking more worried now than before. Everyone laughed, but the truth is, no one remembered what Remmy had said… or even if he had said anything at all. They didn't even remember what THEY had said or done on the way here… except the crew of the New Granolith, because they had visited the Ke'cje Valley in the other dimension and knew to take shallow breaths and keep one hand over their noses while near Qu'rosk trees.**

"**We met someone in the other dimension," Liz said cautiously… "A Ke'cje… His name was Rahn…"**

**Ta'lan smiled… "My son! Rahn is my son… my adopted son."**

**Liz smiled… "Rahn was with us for a long time in the first alternate dimension we went to. He helped our doubles there escape from enemies who wanted to kill them… or worse. He had been a prisoner there himself, but he escaped. We all love Rahn! He was amazing!"**

**Ta'lan's face lit up. "Rahn is like that. He never really liked being isolated in our valley. He wanted to get out and see things. There is much to see here in our valley… especially for a shape shifter… but Rahn wanted more. He wanted to see the universe. He went with the first group in search of a place to hide the royal four, but he was captured after his ship was damaged, and he spent years in a bad place. He has never told me about it… except that it was… unpleasant."**

"**He… he made it back then… right?" Liz asked hopefully.**

**Ta'lan nodded, much to everyone's relief. "Rahn escaped, using his shape shifting ability, and he was able to repair his damaged ship and return home. I fear that he is not cured of his desire to wander and discover the universe, however."**

**Liz smiled. "Rahn was pretty unique."**

"**That's one way to put it," Ta'lan agreed. "But I wouldn't change Rahn even if I could. He is who he is, and that is what I love about him… everything that he is… is who he is."**

**Liz looked at Maria, Isabel, and the others. They were all nodding.**

"**I really loved watching that little roadrunner come and go," Maria said with a grin.**

"**That's a kind of bird on Eluymer," Liz explained, noticing Ta'lan's puzzled look… "Rahn delivered messages sometimes to our doubles' parents and to the sheriff, who was their friend. Rahn would usually turn himself into a roadrunner to deliver the messages."**

"**Or a bat… in the caves…" Isabel said.**

"**That was cool!" Michael agreed. "Rahn was pretty cool."**

"**And that is good, right?" Ta'lan asked.**

"**Very good," Alex replied, "Cool is very good."**

**Ta'lan smiled.**

"**So is hot… sometimes," Isabel added.**

**Ta'lan smiled. "Yes, Rahn told me that it is a confusing planet."**

**The others laughed.**

"**How long can you stay with us," Ta'lan asked, "I am sure that Rahn would like to meet you and hear about your adventures with his double in the other dimension. He loves that kind of thing."**

"**We can't stay very long, I'm afraid," the Aquarian Max said, "There is the kingdom to attend to."**

"**Can you stay one night?"**

**Max looked at Liz, and Liz grinned. He shrugged then nodded… "It looks like it."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Dinner with the Ke'cje shapeshifters had been a lavish affair. It stands to reason that beings who are capable of altering their shapes to almost unimaginable forms would also be able, for that very reason, to locate and capture some of the most reclusive… and succulent… sea creatures. There had been a great many items on the table that the non-shapeshifting Aquarian Antarians did not recognize, and Max and Michael made a pact to find several of them later for their own table, but there is a good chance that they never would find most of them. They weren't capable of turning into giant boring augur worms and finding and extracting the cores of gigantic coral oysters, which lay deeply buried in the hard rocky substrata beneath a hundred feet of sand under the Golden Sea… or of shapeshifting into a creature capable of diving to the deepest depths and chasing down the elusive… and dangerous… Antarian Black-Fanged Lobster. So dinner with the shapeshifters was likely to forever remain a unique event.**

**After dinner, they had spent some time talking with their guests as a group and then had gravitated into smaller groups, each group according to its separate interests. No one had said, "Okay, let's break up into groups," it had just happened, as different individuals, talking with different Ke'cjes, followed their own discussions.**

**The Aquarian Max and Liz walked into the parlor with Ta'lan and found most of the New Granolith's crew sitting around in a circle on the floor with an odd-looking bird in the center of the circle. Jung-Jo watched curiously from the side.**

"**I think the tail should be a little longer," Maria, of the New Granolith's crew, said. The bird complied, and the tail increased in length.**

"**Oh! And the wings of roadrunners are a little shorter," Tess said.**

**The bird reduced the size of its wings.**

"**But Rahn used to make his wings longer," Isabel pointed out… "In order to fly long distances. Roadrunners can't fly very far."**

"**Unless they're Rahn," Alex said with a grin. The others smiled and nodded.**

"**Okay," Maria said, "You can make the wings longer again."**

"**That looks like Rahn to me," Isabel exclaimed, "That looks just like him!"**

**The bird immediately began to twist and rise then took on the shape of a man.**

**Liz nodded. "That was what your double looked like in the other dimension… when he delivered messages to Jeff Parker or to Sheriff Jim Valenti for our doubles in that dimension."**

"**Interesting," Rahn said, "It would seem that I… he… had quite an adventure in that dimension. I was fascinated by the bat."**

"**You did that one perfectly!" Alex said.**

"**Too perfectly… ewww," Maria agreed.**

**The others laughed.**

"**And the red-tailed hawk… Did he become that one often," Rahn asked.**

"**A few times," Maria said, nodding, "And once he turned into a big snake and wrapped himself around that horrible low-life Judge… uh… Judge Lewis. We were wishing he would have eaten him, but he didn't.**

"**Even shapeshifters can get indigestion," Rahn said seriously. The others all looked at each other then started laughing. Liz nodded. "You're right, Rahn! That would have been a rotten meal!"**

"**Rahn has a sense of humor!" Alex said with a grin, "I love it!"**

"**Of course he has a sense of humor!" Liz said, "Remember in the other dimension?"**

**Alex nodded. "Yeah, Rahn had a sort of dry, subdued sense of humor. He would seem totally serious, and then it just hit you and you had to laugh. Rahn never ha-ha'd it. He just had this natural, low-key humor about him… I mean, it was a good humor, you know. He was funny, he just did it so that… that… you didn't realize he was doing it… and that made it even funnier."**

"**He knew he was doing it, though," Liz said, "It was intentional."**

"**I know," Alex agreed, "It was just Rahn's sense of humor."**

"**It would appear that this Rahn has that same sense of humor," the Aquarian Liz said, joining in the conversation with the group from the New Granolith.**

"**He does," Ta'lan agreed. "Rahn can be very serious and very funny at the same time. I love that about him."**

**Rahn smiled.**

"**I still can't believe how good that meal was," Tess said to Ta'lan. "I never heard of half of the things I ate, but I loved them all!"**

**Wade nodded. "At least you've heard of half of them. We never heard of any of them… And they WERE great! I wish we had them all on earth!"**

"**Do you know how Rahn makes his living," one of the other shapeshifter men asked.**

"**How," several of the outsiders asked at the same time.**

"**He supplies the Xor aspic for the entire valley."**

"**You mean that stuff that you put on all the food to season it with?" Liz asked.**

**The shapeshifter smiled. "Yes. Do you want to know how Rahn gets the Xor aspic… and why no one else can?"**

**The others all nodded.**

**The shapeshifter grinned, and Rahn looked a little uncomfortable. "He turns himself into a froyylic. The Xor aspic is only found at a depth of precisely 4,378 rys… no more, no less. It is produced by a communal creature called a sharv shrimp, which is somewhat dangerous. Sharv shrimps are not large, but they have a long, pointed piece of shell on their head and they will ram it into you and poison you. Sharv shrimps attack as a group and can incapacitate almost any creature… including a shapeshifter… quickly. The only creature that can get past the sharv shrimps is a froyylic. The froyylic is not very large, either, or even very fierce, but it gives off an odor that the sharv shrimps find intolerable. They abandon their Xor to the froyylic, and the froyylic would eat it… except for one thing…"**

"**What is that," Michael asked.**

"**The froyylic is the favorite food of the tyar'ma'zot, a very large, fierce creature that is not the least bit offended by the froyylic's bad smell. The sharv shrimps always make their Xor in a cave where there is a tyar'ma'zot… or perhaps the tyar'ma'zot moves in with the sharv shrimps. Either way, they have a mutually beneficial relationship. The sharv shrimps' Xor attracts froyylics; and the tyar'ma'zot happily eats the froyylics. Then the sharv shrimps return and go about their business of making Xor until the next stupid froyylic shows up. I would guess that one froyylic gets a taste of Xor for every thousand that wind up in the tyar'ma'zot's belly.**

"**I am not stupid," Rahn said insistently, "I have a way to get the Xor… AND keep my life. I have not yet wound up in the tyar'ma'zot's belly."**

"**He has a way," the other shapeshifter agreed. "He's not telling anyone else what it is, though."**

**Rahn smiled. "It is my secret."**

"**A valuable secret," the other shapeshifter agreed, "Xor sells for 3,400 Coruns… for a very small flask."**

**Michael whistled… "Seven thousand dollars! That's more expensive than Corvian brandy!" **

"**One does not have to get past a hungry tyar'ma'zot and ten thousand poisonous sharv shrimps to have Corvian brandy," Rahn pointed out, logically. "Nor do they have to find the Corvian brandy at a depth of precisely 4,378 rys."**

"**Wow," Wade said softly, "If I'd known the food I was eating was seasoned with seven-thousand-dollar seasoning…"**

"**Well, I don't make my mother pay for it," Rahn said… "Just these guys over here… and everyone else."**

"**The Xor has a market on several other planets, as well as in our valley," the other shapeshifter pointed out. Rahn does pretty well for himself. Some day we're going to find out how he does it… if he doesn't get eaten by a tyar'ma'zot first.**

**Rahn smiled. "Just be careful that you do not get eaten by the tyar'ma'zot while trying to find out how I do it."**

"**Is this one of those _Don't try this at home… we're the professionals_ kind of things," Alex asked with a grin.**

**Rahn smiled. "I am the only one who can get the Xor aspic and not get eaten by the tyar'ma'zot. Others have tried it. They are not here to tell what mistakes they made."**

"**Where are they," Rayylar asked. **

**Tess elbowed him gently in the ribs.**

"**Oh… Oh!"**

**The other shapeshifters laughed. "None of us have tried it. We value our lives more than our greed. The shapeshifters who were eaten by the tyar'ma'zots were from two other planets… and they were not Ke'cjes. Actually, they're not shapeshifters either… anymore."**

"**Ewww," Maria groaned, "Do all men get a kick out of talking about gory stuff?"**

"**I thought it was interesting!" Michael said. **

**Max nodded. "Me, too. It's not like he went into details about how the tyar'ma'zot bit them in two and chewed them up or ripped their heads off or anything."**

**Liz whacked Max on the arm. "Max!"**

**Max smiled at Michael, and Michael grinned.**

"**Men are the same wherever you go," Tess said, "It's a fact of life. Get used to it!"**

**In fact, what was true was that everyone there was feeling comfortable with each other. New friends… and lifelong friendships… were being made. Before the night was over, Ta'lan and Max had signed a hand written agreement confirming their status as allies and encouraging understanding and friendship between their peoples. Max agreed that the Ke'cjes were entitled to their own local government, and the Ke'cjes confirmed that they were still, first and foremost, Antarians, and loyal to the king… as long as someone like Kivar did not come back and take over again. All in all, it had been a very successful, and historic, trip. **

**End of Chapter 39**

**tbc…**

**Coming Next: The Last Shopping Trip**


	41. Chapter 40

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Last ****Shopping Trip **

**Chapter 40**

**XL**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The young pilots navigated their sliders back into the water and took them down to the level where they had originally come into the Ke'cjes' valley, underneath the dome… and moments later, they were back in the open sea.**

**Just ahead of them were the mountains that surrounded the Ke'cjes' valley, and the slider pilots began to ascend in order to go over the mountains, as they had before. But as they began to rise, Max noticed that they were once again surrounded by the huge ray-like creatures with long trailing filaments…**

"**Looks like our friends are back." **

"**What do you think they want," Michael asked, as the creatures circled the sliders several times.**

"**I think they want us to follow them," Max replied, motioning to the pilot of their slider to follow. She nodded and turned the slider in the direction the ray-like creatures were swimming. The other slider followed; but after a few moments, some of the passengers became concerned…**

"**Uh… we're going to run into the side of that mountain up ahead," Kyle said, "If we don't turn some way or other soon."**

**In spite of appearances, the ray-like creatures continued straight toward the cliffs. But they had no intention of running the sliders into the mountain; they were actually heading for a very large, and well concealed, cave. Liz was the first to see it and quickly pointed it out to the others…**

"**They're showing us a way through the mountain."**

**The rays swam into the cave, and the two sliders followed, turning on their lights in order to see in the darkness. The cave was huge inside; but most surprisingly, it appeared to be natural, not a man-made or Antarian-made phenomenon. All around the two sliders, there were huge stalactites and stalagmites that were undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of years old… formed when these mountains were still above sea level. But now, strange sea creatures swam among the cave's many outcrops and made their homes in them. The slider pilots followed the rays as they turned a bend, in the darkness, and they noticed thousands of little eyes watching them from among the projecting calcium and lime deposits… **

**And one not-so-little set of eyes…**

"**Look out!" Kyle yelled, but the pilots had already seen the thirty-foot-long flopping creature with eyes larger than a semi tractor-trailer truck's tires, and they skillfully avoided it. Though impressive in size and appearance, the creature made no effort to attack them. In fact, it seemed to be looking for a hiding place… probably from the huge rays that were leading the sliders through the tunnel-like cave. **

**In only six minutes, the sliders emerged on the outer side of the mountain. The cave's opening on this side projected downward and was all but invisible to anyone looking straight at the mountain. And as if this were not enough, it was further concealed by a large rocky outcrop above it and tons of Antarian pink and green corals, making it even better hidden than the one on the valley side had been.**

"**No one would ever find that entrance," Michael said, shaking his head in wonder… "Unless they knew exactly where it was."**

"**Well, going through the mountain just saved us twenty minutes," Max said, smiling. **

**The huge rays rolled over and headed back toward the cave, and the sliders' occupants waved a last goodbye as the creatures seemed to simply disappear into a solid mountain. Moments later, Wade watched the mountains fade and disappear in the distance behind them… just as the domed valley had on the other side…**

"**That was fun! I still can't believe I'm really on an alien world… and that I met a real alien shapeshifter. I didn't even know they actually existed. But Rahn was so cool! And Ta'lan! And those guys that change into the ray things! I wish the Ke'cjes were hooked up to the internet… It's a shame that they can't access the worldwide web."**

**Quinn smiled. "Yeah, I heard you suggest to Rahn that they form an Antarian-Ke'cje web and connect it to earth's web so you could chat with them from time to time. Do the Ke'cjes have computers?"**

**Liz from the New Granolith nodded. "On our Antar, we have computers… and so do the Ke'cjes."**

"**Here, too," the Aquarian Liz said, "Of course, our computers use a different alphabet and language than earth ones, but their functions are similar. We don't have an Antar-wide web, though. I think that would be a good idea… Max?"**

**Max shrugged. "I like it."**

**Liz smiled at Wade. "You may be the inspiration for Antar's first web. Maybe we'll call it the Wade Web… the WW."**

**Max smiled and chuckled.**

"**Cool," Wade said, with an exuberant grin, as she glanced back at Quinn. But when she saw Quinn's face this time, she had a very quick flash… like a repressed memory… of herself… "_Quinn, Let's get married… right here… right now."_**

**Wade shook her head vigorously, trying to dislodge the strange and unexpected "memory."**

**_"He's mine!" Maggie objected, pulling Quinn back by the other arm, "He loves me!"_**

**Wade flushed and then turned pale, as the dialog continued in disjointed flashes…**

"**_He loves me more,"_** **Wade heard herself say, and she saw herself pulling Quinn the other way again.**

**Wade shook her head briskly and rubbed her eyes.**

"**Is something wrong," Quinn asked, looking concerned.**

"**I… I think I got an eyelash in my eye or something," Wade replied, still looking somewhat pale.**

"**Let me look at it," Quinn said, moving to sit beside Wade.**

"**I'll do it," said Maggie, moving ahead of Quinn and taking the seat beside Wade. She looked at Wade's eyes and then shook her head. "It must have got out on its own. I don't see it, Wade."**

"**Yeah… I think it did," Wade agreed, "I think it's gone now." She looked at Quinn, and Quinn smiled. Then she turned and stared out at the sea. She wasn't sure what she had just seen, but she decided that it was best not to mention it.**

**For the next fifty-five minutes, they rode in relative silence, everyone marveling at the wondrous sights around them. The water of the Golden Sea was clear beneath the surface. Viewed from space, or even just from a distance, it had a rich golden hue, just as earth's oceans have a blue hue. But down here, it was as clear as a glass of pure spring water. And there was plenty to see! Fifty-five minutes actually went by faster than anyone expected; and all too soon, they found themselves approaching Grelligo. The young pilots expertly maneuvered their sliders into the tube that connected all the city domes from that point on; and moments later, the riders felt a distinct jet-like surge, as their sliders suddenly accelerated in the tube to roughly 150 miles per hour. **

**Twelve minutes later, the sliders sped into Chanesio… and straight through Chanesio's five huge domes… without slowing down, which took seven minutes. Eleven minutes after that, they sped through Aluzia, and eight minutes later, Jarnat. Twenty minutes after passing through Jarnat, the sliders entered the city of Merplex'Antar; and as they passed through several smaller domes inside the main city dome, the riders noticed that their sliders were slowing down. As they entered the fourth internal dome, the vehicles slowed even more.**

"**Are we there?" Wade asked, suspecting that they still had another stop to go.**

**Liz smiled. "Max and I asked the girls to stop the sliders at the Merplex mall. We thought you might like to do some shopping before you go home."**

**Wade's eyes lit up; but just as quickly, she looked suddenly crestfallen…**

"**I don't have any money. Will they let me window shop?"**

**Liz grinned and handed Wade a silver button about the size of a dime. **

"**What's this?"**

"**It's the Antarian equivalent of a credit card," Liz said, smiling, "It will adhere to your clothes wherever you put it. I have one for each of you."**

"**Cool!" Wade exclaimed. "How long do we get to pay it off?"**

"**You don't have to, the Aquarian Maria said, "This is the good kind of card! Everything gets billed to Max. I've been trying to get one of those forever!" **

**Michael grinned and looked at Max.**

"**Oh, wow!" Wade said, sounding a bit emotional, "You mean I can buy whatever I want… with this?"**

**Liz nodded. "Just put it on you… here. Then pass your hand over it." Wade did. "Now it's encoded to your DNA. Only you can use it. When you buy anything now, the cashiers will automatically charge the purchase to Max… as long as you have this on."**

"**I don't suppose this would work on earth…"**

**Liz shook her head and smiled.**

"**Nice try, though," Michael said with a grin. **

**Liz placed a similar button on each of the other guests, including their doubles from the other dimension. "You're all set!" **

"**I don't think we can buy much," Wade said, "We don't have any way to get it home. We kind of like have to slide."**

"**But we slide, too," the Aquarian Isabel said.**

**Maggie laughed. "Okay, but you slide in a slider… we do it the hard way… free style! It's kind of like… tumbling through this tube to where you're going without a vehicle." **

**Liz smiled. "Well, see, here's the best part. Our Varec and his double have been going over some things together with Quinn and Max… your Max… and Max agreed that they're going to get you home a little differently this time. When you open your vortex with that timer thing of yours, the New Granolith will go through it. You get to ride home in style."**

**Wade looked at Quinn, and Quinn grinned, then Wade, Remmy, Professor Arturo, and Maggie all cheered.**

"**That way, I can tie you to a tree myself and make sure that you stay there this time," Varec said, with a wry grin on his face. Quinn smiled and seemed to turn slightly red.**

**At that moment, the slider turned and exited the tube through one of the mall's access points. Then it circled around the mall and came to a stop in what could only be described as a slider parking garage. Looking around, the guests saw hundreds of sliders of every possible length and style. The basic shape of each was the same; it had to be to fit into the tubes. But that seemed to be the only major similarity. They were all different colors. Some had more windows than others. Some were almost all windows and had clear roofs to boot, and others had almost no windows except in the front. Some were short, and some were really long, like buses or limos. But they all conformed to the shape of the tubes, a kind of sideways oval shape.**

**The guests and their Aquarian hosts got out of the two sliders they had just arrived in, and Liz herded the group toward a long escalator that led upward… **

"**That's the way in. Shall we go forth and conquer the mall?"**

**Everyone nodded, grinning with anticipation.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**As they reached the top of the escalator, the visitors looked around at all the different stores and saw that the inside of the mall was huge. Directly in front of them was something that appeared to be a department-type store. The name on the sign above the door said, "Kyyks At Merplex," but the Sliders couldn't read it. To them, it was all a bunch of swirls and hieroglyphs.**

"**Looks like Sears or J.C.Penneys," Wade said, walking toward the huge store.**

"**More like Saks Fifth Avenue," Maggie said, looking around as she followed Wade in. Quinn, Remmy, Professor Arturo, and the group from the New Granolith followed the girls in, as did the Aquarian group, their hosts on this planet. It didn't take Wade long to spot something that interested her… especially since it seemed that the ladies department was strategically placed where it would be seen as soon as one walked in. Wade and Maggie began looking through the clothes. Quinn looked at Remmy and the professor and shrugged. But a moment later, Wade pulled out a contour-fitted emerald-green gown that seemed to have a natural shimmer, though it had no sequins or other visible attachments…**

"**Ooh, slinky… and elegant!" Wade exclaimed, holding the gown up in front of herself… "It looks like it could fit!" **

"**Try it on," Liz suggested. "The fitting rooms are right over there."**

**Wade took the gown and rushed into the fitting room. Maggie shook her head and grinned. A few moments later, Wade opened the door and stepped out with the gown on. She looked stunning, and from the look on Quinn's face, he thought so, too. His lower jaw dropped, but it was his eyes that told the story. It was understandable. He had never seen Wade in a formal-type gown before… especially one like this one. It made her look so… different. It seemed to hug and emphasize all the right features just the right way. Maggie noticed, too. She also noticed Quinn's reaction…**

"**Uh, Wade, Dear, just between us," Maggie said, pulling Wade aside after she had taken the dress back off, "That gown's not really right for you. It makes you look fat… here." Maggie indicated Wade's buttox and tummy and gave her a sympathetic look. "And the boobs… the gown makes them look kind of… distorted… fakey. I'm sorry."**

**Wade looked at the gown again then at Quinn, who was still looking her way, and nodded. "Thanks for helping me decide, Maggie!" Then she put the gown into her hover cart and pushed it down the aisle, a smile on her face. Maggie watched Wade walk away, with the gown in her cart, and shook her head. "That girl may be more of a challenge than I thought."**

"**Do they have a sports and entertainment section," Remmy asked.**

**Liz pointed to another escalator. "Up one floor."**

"**That's where I want to look," Remmy said.**

"**I'll go with you," Professor Arturo hurried to add. "Quinn?"**

**Remmy smiled and took Quinn by the arm, pulling him with them. "Oh, yeah… yeah! I'm coming, too!"**

"**I'll join you," Michael from the New Granolith said, going with the three Sliders. "Me, too," Kyle said. Then Jim joined them, too.**

"**Well, that's most of the Y-chromosomes," Maria from the New Granolith said. "How about we look at shoes… Oh, you know what? There's somewhere else I want to look at first!" **

**Liz nodded, knowing exactly what Maria had in mind. "Me, too, Maria! Wait up! Isabel's coming, too, I think!"**

"**Here it is!" Liz said a few moments later, pointing at the sign over the department. Maria smiled from ear to ear and quickly began to shuffle through one of the racks, as Isabel and Liz tackled another rack nearby…**

"**Ooh, this one is darling!" Maria said, pulling out a boy's medium-sized shirt that appeared to be made of something waterproof. "I can just see this on Zorel!"**

"**You've got to get it!" Liz said, "It's perfect, Maria!" **

**Liz gasped and pulled something off of the girls' rack that looked vaguely like a cross between a jacket and a blouse. It was made out of blue denim… or something that looked like denim… and it was waterproof like the boy's shirt Maria had pulled out. The denim-look blouse or jacket was tied at the waist with a color-coordinated sash, and it had a large, oversized, stand-up collar that was vaguely retro, though the overall look was futuristic. On the back of the jacket –Liz had decided that it was a light jacket- there was a great picture of a swimming dolphin. Liz pulled out two more of the jackets with the same denim look and design but different colors. One was dark off-red, the other forest green; and each had a color-coordinated sash at the waist… **

"**If they don't like the colors, Jayyd will gladly change them for the girls, I'm sure, huh, Maria?"**

**Maria laughed and nodded. "There's nothing Jayyd likes better than changing colors for people. She's a real helper!"**

"**Those are for Maya, JoLeesa, and Andya?" Isabel asked. Liz nodded, as she pulled a boy's small-size T-shirt with a large glow-in-the-dark starfish embossed on the front of it off the boy's shirt rack and held it up with a grin.**

"**For Alyyx?" Maria asked. Liz nodded.**

"**Oh, Liz! It's darling! You have to let me come over and see him with it on!"**

**Liz grinned. "I need to find something for Jeffy now. Is everything here waterproof?"**

"**I think so," Isabel said, "It makes sense… they're a water people… kind of."**

"**What kind of fabric do you think these are made of," Liz asked, showing Isabel the jackets and the T-shirt. Isabel shook her head. "I don't know. It has a nice feel… it should be comfortable. It's definitely strong… whatever it is. It should last a long time!"**

"**You don't know Zorel!" Maria said.**

**Isabel laughed. "Yeah, well, Mareeya and Ceelya can be hard on clothes, too! You're lucky with Jayyd. But she's still little."**

"**Yeah," Maria agreed. "I need to find something for Jayyd… and Kryys!"**

**While the girls shopped for the children they were missing so much back home, some of the guys had already left the department store and had walked down the mall to see what else they could find. They were currently in an electronics outlet.**

"**What would you reckon the function of this unusual gadget to be," Professor Arturo asked, holding up a hand held device about the size of Quinn's timer. Quinn looked at the device in Professor Arturo's hand and shook his head. "I don't know. It emits a signal from the diode in the front, obviously. It appears to be watertight. And it has a small, inset video screen on the top. If I had to guess, I'd say it was some kind of hand-held laser.**

**Michael asked the clerk about the device then nodded. It is a laser… a laser sonar."**

"**That is a contradiction in terms, my good fellow," Professor Arturo said, "A sonar is a sound emitting device, whilst a laser is a light emitting device."**

"**The clerk said that it emits a laser light, which in turn creates a sound wave in the water. The returning sound wave is picked up and rides the laser light back, then a picture is recreated on the screen… in color. You can see anything underwater up to about three thousand feet away with this thing… in full living color!"**

**Quinn took the device and looked at it, impressed. "That's amazing! I'm not sure what I would do with it…"**

"**Well, I am," Professor Arturo said, reclaiming the device from Quinn. I will take this, my good man."**

**The clerk touched a screen, and a small, multi-colored light instantaneously flashed on the dime-sized button on the outside of the professor's shirt pocket.**

"**What was that?"**

**Michael smiled. "That was the machine reading your credit card."**

"**That's all there is to it? I don't have to sign anything?"**

**Michael shook his head. "Nope. It's coded to your DNA and billed to Max's double here. No one else could use it even if they did have it."**

**Professor Arturo smiled. "I may buy something else! This is quite stimulating!"**

**Michael picked up something that looked like a plastic mechanical fish and asked the clerk about it. After a short conversation in Antarian, he had the clerk put three of them in a bag for him.**

"**What are those for," Professor Arturo asked.**

"**They're swim buddies. They swim with you in the water. They can play tag with you and do tricks like leaping out of the water; and the clerk claims they can be trained to do other things like finding lost objects underwater, protecting their owner from dangerous creatures, and even pulling a disabled full-grown man back to safety."**

"**Those little plastic fish can do all that?" the Professor asked, amazed.**

**Michael smiled. "I wouldn't bet my life on it. It's sales hype. But it's still pretty amazing. I'm getting one for Zorel, one for Kryys, and one for Jayyd."**

**The Professor nodded and smiled. "Lucky children. They will have a great time with them if those creatures can do half of what was promised."**

"**That's the way I see it," Michael agreed. **

"**You miss them, don't you," Quinn asked.**

**Michael nodded, and his eyes misted up. "We've seen a lot of things in all these other dimensions… it's been a real experience. But I'd give anything to hold Jayyd in my arms again or play games with Zorel and Kryys… even if I can't ever beat Kryys at anything anymore."**

"**Is he the oldest," Professor Arturo asked.**

**Michael shook his head. "No… he's the middle one. Zorel is the oldest. But Kryys has special abilities. He's kind of unique… even on Antar."**

**The professor nodded understandingly. "I'm certain that he is. But in their own way, all the children are, aren't they?"**

**Michael nodded and wiped his eyes quickly then smiled.**

**In a small shop nearby, Alex and Max from the New Granolith were looking at items inside a display case. **

"**Can I look at that one," Alex asked in Antarian.**

**The clerk smiled and removed a stunning double ringed choker made of perfect pearls and highly polished red-black corals.**

"**It's beautiful," Alex said, taking it in his hands carefully and spreading it around his fingers. "What do you think, Max? You think Isabel will like it?"**

"**If she doesn't, I'll marry you myself," Max said.**

**Alex looked at Max and raised his eyebrows. "That's more than I want to know, Max."**

**Max grinned. "It's a joke, Alex! I just meant that, yeah, she'll like it. She'll love it! Who wouldn't?"**

**Alex smiled and turned back to the clerk. "I'll take it."**

**Max asked to see a pearl heirloom cameo locket and necklace set from the case, and the clerk took it out. Max held it up and admired it. "What do you think, Alex? Will Liz like this?"**

"**Wow! If she doesn't, I'll discuss that marriage with you."**

**Max looked at Alex and raised his eyebrows.**

"**Or not…" Alex said, "But if you wanted to give me the necklace, I wouldn't turn it down."**

**Max turned back to the clerk and handed her the necklace… "Can you gift wrap it?" **

"**Mine, too," Alex said. "They're for our wives."**

**The clerk nodded and smiled, as she wrapped the gifts silently.**

**Over the next two hours, all the guests visited at least a dozen different stores in the mall, and each one bought something to take home. In fact, most of them bought a number of items to take home. Their host would have a pretty sizeable bill after this trip, but Max from the New Granolith was pretty sure that his Aquarian double was good for it… and then some. **

**As the hour approached to meet at the kiosk, everyone headed in that direction. Max and Alex found Tess and Rayylar already there. They had gone for a romantic walk and had watched a movie together, but they were also carrying a couple of bags, so they definitely had bought something to take back with them. **

**Within minutes, the entire gang was there. Maggie was conspicuously wearing a new pair of shoes and had a rather chic looking pink coral bracelet on her wrist. She also had some items in a bag.**

"**Look what I found," Wade said, taking a pair of shoes out of a box. The shoes were emerald green and matched the gown she had bought perfectly. She had also found a small matching purse.**

"**They're beautiful!" Tess said. "Where did you find them?"**

"**At Kyyks Merplex store," Wade replied excitedly. "I also got a couple of blouses and some really far out jeans! What did you get?"**

**Tess smiled. "Some things for Jiba and Drel."**

"**Who are they?"**

"**Our children… back home."**

**Wade looked at Tess then at Rayylar, momentarily not knowing what to say, then she hugged them both. "I hope you find your planet real soon."**

"**Thanks," Tess said, wiping the corner of her eye and smiling.**

**End of Chapter 40**

**tbc…**


	42. Chapter 41

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**One Good Turn… **

**Chapter 41**

**XLI**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Max walked forward and stood facing his Aquarian double for a moment, then he smiled… "I know I speak for all of us from the ship when I say thank you. You've made this an extraordinary visit. I wish there were some way we could repay all your kindness properly."**

**The Aquarian Max gave his double a satisfied grin then turned and watched as some of the children, including his and Liz's, ran through the palace lounge yet again chasing Jung-Jo, who was enjoying the romp through the underwater palace as much as the children were enjoying chasing him. None of the Aquarian children had ever seen a pawgor… or any other kind of land animal for that matter. Jung-Jo was a completely new life form for them. But he had taken no time at all to grow on them.**

"**You could leave that incredible pet here," the Aquarian Max said with a smile. "The children would be in seventh heaven."**

**Max smiled and raised one eyebrow slightly. "I'm afraid if I returned to our Antar without Jung-Jo my own children wouldn't let me back into the palace… I would have to get Jung-Jo back before they would ever talk to me again."**

**The Aquarian laughed. **

"**Oh, I'm sure that's not true," the Aquarian Liz said, "I know your children must miss you, too. And Max was kidding. He knows you can't leave one of your crew behind."**

**Max smiled. "He is like one of the crew, actually. We've gotten so used to him being underfoot all the time."**

"**Yeah but he's a great foot warmer," Liz added, putting her arm around Max cheerfully.**

**Max and his double both jumped, as Jung-Jo trotted through again, this time with the Aquarian Michael's youngest daughter, Serina, who appeared to be little Jayyd's double, holding onto his tail and giggling hysterically as Jung-Jo pulled her around through the palace. And the other children were not far behind.**

"**Actually, I might not be able to get much work done if he stayed," the Aquarian chuckled. "The thing is, Liz and I… and Michael and Maria… and Isabel and Alex… and Tess and Kyle… all grew up on earth, so we've seen land animals before. These children have never even seen a dog or a cat… or a bird. For them to actually get to play with a real land animal, one that hasn't existed here for a hundred thousand years, is worth every Kyrin I may have to pay for that little shopping trip."**

"**Um, I don't know," Max said, "Some of us can get really carried away when we're spending someone else's money."**

**The Aquarian Michael laughed.**

"**It must have been weird for you," Liz from the New Granolith said, turning to her Aquarian double, "Coming from earth to a water planet and living under the sea 24/7."**

**The Aquarian Liz smiled and put her arm around her Max tightly. "Yeah, it's different. But I never really questioned it. If Max had lived in a volcano… I guess I would have jumped in with him."**

**Liz from the ship nodded and smiled understandingly. **

**The Aquarian Michael looked at his Maria. "Would you have followed me if I lived in a volcano?"**

"**Sure," Maria said, teasingly, "If it was a dead volcano and if I was dressed in a fireproof suit just in case." She looked into Michael's eyes, and a grin slowly spread over her face… "I followed you here, didn't I? I guess I'd follow you just about anywhere, Spaceboy."**

**Michael smiled.**

"**When we came here," the Aquarian Liz said, holding her hands up for everyone to see, "Their doctors offered to give us the same webbing that Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess have now… right here between their fingers. But Maria and I decided not to change. Some day we may go back home for a visit, and Mom would freak if I had webbed hands. The idea of her little girl going to live under the sea… never mind on another planet… never really took with her."**

"**And your dad?" Liz asked.**

**The Aquarian Liz smiled. "He just wanted to make sure that Max would take good care of me… and keep me happy."**

"**I had to put it in writing!" the Aquarian Max said. **

**Liz looked surprised. "You mean you guys have never been back home since you came here… even once?"**

**Her double shook her head. "The factory at Chanesio is working on a large, intergalactic ship for us, but it's still at least two years from being finished. Max doesn't trust the ships we have now to make that kind of voyage. They're getting kind of old."**

"**Most of them were built around the 1930's or 1940's, earth time," Max said, "They're sixty to seventy years old now… some of them may be even older. I don't intend to lose Liz in space. Jeff would kill me!"**

**Max from the New Granolith smiled.**

"**I wish Liz's spheres worked here," Michael said, shaking his head, "They only work in our own dimension. If they worked here we could send you home for a visit in the blink of an eye."**

"**Spheres?" **

**Michael nodded. "In our dimension, we found these four spheres on a little moon off Jupiter. This guy named Shaqor, from a far away planet called Xarius, gave them to a girl named Maya when they were still both very young… twelve or thirteen thousand years ago, and she left them on that moon. Anyway, it turned out that Maya was a very distant ancestor of Liz's, and the spheres responded to Liz."**

"**What do they do," the Aquarian Liz asked.**

"**One of them opens a portal to anywhere you want to go… well, almost. It'll take us to earth and back or to another planet… or even into the past, but not into another dimension. Otherwise, we'd be home already. Another one is like a protector thing. Another one lets you see things that are somewhere else. And the last one helps you find things that are lost."**

"**So, let's see if I have this right," the Aquarian Isabel said, "With these spheres, you can find something, then ask to see it, then go get it, and if there's danger, you'll be protected."**

**Michael nodded. "Well, the sphere of protection has to be asked to protect you… and the sphere of the portal… the one that takes you places… kind of doesn't like me, I think. If I ask to go somewhere, sometimes I step out into a river or something; and if I ask it to take me to someone, I may find myself in the bathroom with them or in some other embarrassing situation… unless I'm really, really specific with my instructions."**

"**Michael learned how to be very specific very fast," Liz said, smiling, "I let him use my spheres once to go on a long trip."**

"**Do you have these spheres with you now?" the Aquarian Max asked.**

**Liz shook her head. "I don't need them. I just have to call them. They work wherever they are… but only for me or for someone that I authorize to use them… and only in our own dimension."**

**The Aquarian Max looked at his own Liz… "It's possible that these spheres exist here, too, in our dimension. They may be on that moon."**

"**But we would still have to wait until the ship is ready in order to go there and find them," Liz said.**

**Max nodded. **

"**Maybe not," Michael said, "If Maya in this dimension was related to your Liz, and if she left her spheres on that moon, maybe your Liz could call them."**

**Liz from the New Granolith looked at Michael, and her jaw dropped. "Michael! That's a great idea! They could go home anytime they wanted then!"**

"**That's what I was thinking."**

"**Hold out your hand," Liz said to her Aquarian counterpart. "Ask for the sphere of the portal."**

**The Aquarian Liz did, but nothing happened. After trying a second time, she gave up…**

"**It's either not there or it doesn't respond to me, I guess."**

"**I'm sorry," Liz said, "It seemed like a good idea."**

**Michael closed his hand into a fist and groaned dejectedly… "Lousy sphere! I can get over ours dumping me in a river. It's got a twisted sense of humor. But you don't even care what happens to Liz!"**

"**This isn't our dimension," Liz reminded him softly, "Maya may have never existed here. There may not be any spheres here."**

"**I know," Michael grumbled, "But…"**

**As Michael spoke, the air in front of him shimmered momentarily, and a portal appeared. No one was more surprised than Michael…**

"**It came! You did it, Liz! You do have the spheres in your dimension!"**

"**I am not of this dimension," a voice from within the portal said, "I came because you called me."**

"**Me?" Michael asked, "You mean… you're our sphere… from our dimension?"**

"**I am."**

"**I thought you couldn't function in another dimension."**

"**I cannot."**

"**Then how are you…?"**

"**I cannot function here… in the way that I was designed… but I never said that I could not appear." **

**Michael looked at the portal. "So you can't take them to earth… or take us back home?"**

"**I cannot."**

"**So you just came to torture us?" **

"**Torture is not a part of my personality."**

"**Personality!" Michael exclaimed, "Is that what you call dumping me in the river when I asked to be taken to one of my children?"**

"**He was in a boat… on the river. There was no room in the boat for you. I obeyed your request. I took you to him. You did not wish to sink his boat did you?"**

"**Yeah, well… I guess… but you seemed to enjoy it a bit too much."**

**The sphere did not reply, and Max snorted. "It does have a sense of humor!"**

**Michael scowled. "Yeah, well, it wasn't you that stepped through and fell into a river on another planet, Max!"**

"**Why ARE you here?" Max asked.**

**The portal seemed to shimmer for a moment, and Michael feared that it was about to leave…**

"**No! Don't go!"**

"**I was not going; I was calculating. I cannot function in this dimension, but the spheres of this dimension exist, and they can."**

"**Well, they don't seem to want to answer," Michael said, " So I don't guess they'll do us any good."**

"**They cannot hear you."**

"**What do you mean?"**

"**I checked on the spheres. They are in the cave on the moon off Jupiter… just as I was in my dimension. But in this dimension, a meteor has destroyed the cave, and large parts of the meteor lie near the wall where Maya hid the spheres, deep underground. Something in the meteor is preventing it from hearing anyone call."**

**Michael nodded. "Then it can't help us. They would have to go there and dig it out… when their ship is ready in two years… Just how do you HEAR anyway? I've always wondered about that."**

"**The word 'hearing' is not accurate. No word exists for the way we perceive. It is a connection with a mind that we are in tune with. But there is another way that the sphere of the portal in this dimension may function for them. I can relay the call. Right now, it does not come, because it cannot perceive the one calling."**

"**Then it could take them to earth?"**

"**Yes."**

"**And bring them back?"**

**There was a pause. "Only if I relayed the message again."**

**There was a long silence. "Listen," Michael said at last, "You didn't take all that stuff I said before seriously, did you… about the twisted humor and torture and all?"**

**Michael could almost feel the sphere's satisfaction. "It is okay. Being offended is not part of my personality. There is much that you do not know about us. We have the capacity for… enjoyment. But we are loyal. I would never let Liz fall into a river."**

"**Oh, I'm so lucky!" Michael exclaimed, "I'm special!"**

"**In a way," the sphere replied.**

"**So, listen… would you, you know, be willing to relay messages if these people want to visit their families on earth sometime? And would you answer their call to relay a message when they're ready to come back?"**

"**I belong to Liz… and to Maya and Shaqor. One of them will have to ask; if they ask, I will do it. Liz gave you permission to call me, but she needs to give permission for anyone else."**

"**I do!" Liz said excitedly.**

"**You will have to give me your instructions," the voice from the portal said, "I will convey them to the sphere in this dimension. You will not be able to talk to the portal when it appears… nor it to you."**

"**Is this safe?" the Aquarian Max asked, "I mean, if the sphere here can't hear us, is it possible that it might not be able to bring us back?"**

"**It is functional in every way except perceiving your thoughts," the portal said.**

"**I'll go now!" the Aquarian Liz exclaimed excitedly. "I want to see Dad and Mom. Would you ask it to take me to the CrashDown… on earth… in Roswell… New Mexico?"**

**The portal disappeared. Fourteen seconds later, another portal appeared.**

"**Are you… our portal?" Liz asked.**

**There was no response.**

"**Liz," Max said with a worried expression on his face… "Maybe I should go with you."**

"**It'll be fine, Max. I'll be back in an hour… or two. Three at the most."**

**The Aquarian Max looked at his double.**

"**It'll be fine," Max said. "If it doesn't bring her back, we'll go get her for you in the New Granolith. It would take about a week, round trip. But the spheres have always been dependable. If ours believes that the one here can function normally, I think we can trust it."**

**The Aquarian nodded then hugged Liz and kissed her… "Take care of yourself, Liz."**

"**I will. I'll be back before you miss me."**

"**Not possible."**

**Liz smiled then stepped into the shimmering ether of the portal and disappeared.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Jeff Parker wiped the sweat off his forehead again and stuck a spatula under each one of the burgers on the grill, deftly flipping them over. Since Michael had left, Jeff had gone back to doing most of the grilling and cooking himself… but he had to admit that he sometimes missed Michael, even now; Michael certainly had a way with rush orders! Jeff sighed and turned around to look for the buns. Finding the package, he laid four buns out on the grill and pressed them down slightly for a few seconds then scooped them up and flipped them onto platters. Then he laid the burgers on them and added the particular accoutrements and fixings that made each one whatever it was that had been ordered. Finally, after a quick look to make sure that everything was exactly what had been ordered, he picked up the tray and carried it to the service window, ringing the bell for a girl to pick it up.**

**Jeff barely looked at the girl with the antennas on her head and the alien-themed apron as she smiled and picked up the platter. But when he turned back around to prepare the next order, something flashed in his mind… the face… the smile. For a moment, Jeff's heart stopped. He was sure of it. He spun around and gazed through the window at the girl who was placing the orders on the table. A second later, Jeff flew out of the kitchen and across the dining area and scooped Liz up in his arms, spinning her around and around, to the surprise… and apparently the delight… of all his patrons.**

"**Liz? Omigod! When did you get back?"**

"**Just a little while ago. I came straight here."**

"**You hear that?" a girl at a table nearby whispered to her companion. "She just got back into town and first place she comes is to the dinah to work."**

"**Yeah, but they really, really appreciate the girls here. Ernie throws me a apron an' sez 'Hope ya had fun. Now get yer arse back to work.'"**

"**The other girl chuckled. "If Ernie had you in his arms, it'd be cause youse broke somethin' and he wuz takin it out in an equal number of yer ribs." She smiled and sighed, as she watched Jeff spin around and around with Liz in his arms, tears streaming down both of their faces. "But if Ernie looked like this guy… and treated me like that… I could cut him a lot of slack."**

"**I think you better set me down, Dad," Liz said, "The customers are staring."**

"**Let them stare. Come on. I want to hear everything. I'll get Marge to cover for me here for a while. Let's go upstairs."**

**Jeff put Liz down then took her by the hand and walked briskly toward the CrashDown's lounge, where Marge was taking a break. A few moments later, they were upstairs in the apartment.**

"**Nancy! Nancy, I have a surprise for you! Where are you?"**

**Nancy came out of a back room, with a handful of books. When she saw Liz, she gasped, and the books fell precipitously to the floor, as she rushed to her daughter, hugging her, kissing her, and crying. After a couple of minutes, she leaned back and looked Liz over…**

"**Is Max taking good care of you, Dear?"**

"**Funny! I thought Dad would be the first to ask me that. Yes, he's taking very good care of me, Mom! And before you ask, Yes! I'm happy! Very happy!"**

**Liz looked at her mother again. "You're not disappointed, are you, Mom? You thought I left him and came home to live?"**

**Nancy smiled and hugged Liz again. "No, of course not! Though it would be great if you lived here again."**

"**I'm a grown woman, Mom. Grown women get married and move out of their parents' house."**

"**But not off of their planet," Nancy said, giving Liz another kiss.**

**Liz grinned. "Okay, you got me on that one. But I'm really happy. You have to believe that!"**

"**Where is Max?" Jeff asked. "Are the others here, too? Are Maria and Michael here?"**

"**I came by myself this time, Dad."**

**Jeff looked at Liz, and his eyes seemed to widen… "By yourself? Did you have a pilot?"**

**Liz shook her head. "I didn't fly. Well… actually, I'm not exactly sure what it was. I stepped through a portal and I was just here." Liz proceeded to tell Jeff and Nancy all about their visitors from the other dimension and about the strange sphere that talked… and the one that had brought her here.**

"**You see, if this works like it's supposed to, we can come here any time at all to see you, just by stepping through the portal."**

"**But it sounds like you took a big risk," Jeff said, "I'm surprised Max didn't stop you."**

"**He wanted to come with me, but if something didn't go as planned and the sphere didn't show up to take us back, I didn't want him to be stranded here, too. He's needed there."**

"**You mean that could happen?" Nancy asked. "You could be stranded here… with us?"**

**Liz smiled. "Mom!"**

"**I was just wondering. I didn't mean I was wishing it."**

"**Well, Max… the one from the other dimension… seems to trust his sphere a lot… I mean, Liz's sphere. It actually belongs to her. And this one, we think, will respond to me once we find it and dig it out of the cave it's buried in on a little moon off Jupiter. But that's at least two years away. Until then, I have to call my double's sphere and tell it where I want to go, and it passes along the information to my sphere."**

"**Kind of like a booking agent, huh," Jeff said with a grin.**

**Liz laughed. "A lot faster, though! And a lot less hassle! You know what this means, Dad? You guys could come see us!"**

"**In an underwater world?" Nancy protested, "I'm not too sure about that! I never liked being enclosed. I can't see myself underwater."**

"**That way you could see your grandchildren," Liz said, dropping the bombshell.**

**For a moment, there was silence, then Nancy sat down, pulling Liz down beside her on the sofa. "How many? How old? Boys or girls? What are they like?"**

"**I'm not sure I have enough time, Mom. I kind of promised Max I'd come right back. He's worried about me coming here alone."**

"**He should be!" Jeff said.**

**Liz stood up and called the sphere of the portal from the other dimension; and in seconds, something began to happen in the room. The air shimmered, and something resembling a large, borderless mirror that one might easily get sucked into and be lost in stood in front of them. It was the portal. Liz looked at Nancy then at Jeff. "I could send you back here in a few hours… or whenever you're ready to come back."**

"**Wait a minute," Jeff said, picking up the phone beside the sofa and dialing a number hastily…**

"**CrashDown Café! Marge speaking!"**

"**Marge… would you close up for me tonight? I've got to go somewhere. I'll be back before opening time in the morning. There's a bonus if you'll do it."**

"**Sure, Mr. Parker. You have a good time. It's nothing bad, is it?"**

"**No… No, it's not bad. Thanks, Marge!"**

**Liz turned to the portal… "Would you ask my sphere to take the three of us to Max, where it found me before… please?"**

**The portal disappeared and another one reappeared in fourteen seconds, just as before.**

"**This would be our flight," Liz said, taking Jeff with one hand and Nancy with the other. "Are you ready?"**

**Both of them nodded silently, then Liz stepped into the portal with them by the hand.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Max saw the air shimmer, and he knew that the portal was appearing. But what happened next was totally unexpected…**

"**Mr. Parker! Mrs. Parker! I… wasn't expecting you. Welcome to Antar."**

**Jeff smiled. "We wanted to see how well you're taking care of our little girl, Max."**

"**Very well," Max's double from the other dimension said for him. "Trust me on that!"**

**Jeff looked at Max's double then at the others. "This could take some getting used to, seeing two of you."**

**Max hugged Liz. "Did everything go smoothly? You're okay, right?"**

**Liz nodded, as she hugged Max back and kissed him… "I just stepped through. That's all there was to it. Smooth as silk."**

**Max looked at his double from the other dimension and held out his hand, a big smile on his face…**

"**Thank you! This is something we never, ever expected in our wildest dreams. It's going to change our lives so totally for the better."**

**His double from the New Granolith took his hand in his and smiled back… **

"**You know what they say… One good turn deserves another. We owed you."**

**End of Chapter 41**

**tbc…**


	43. Chapter 42

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Earth Prime **

**Chapter 42**

**XLII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Jeff watched as Jung-Jo trotted into the palace lounge then out the other side, disappearing down the long royal hallway, followed closely by a string of children… and Nancy. **

"**She's in Heaven, Max… or her second childhood one."**

"**Well, I guess she's entitled. She has four grandchildren she never saw before and didn't even know existed until six hours ago."**

**Jeff nodded. "Triplets… that was a shock."**

"**It kind of was for us, too," Max said with a grin. "Alexina, Claudie, and Bria. Then Jeffrey came along a little over two years later. We've got a full house."**

"**And we've got an empty one… with Liz gone. You may have opened a Pandora's Box with that sphere of yours. Nancy will be on your doorstep every day now."**

"**She'll be pretty wet then. We're underwater."**

**Jeff laughed. "Yeah… That's another thing… I know you said the palace and everything on your planet was underwater, but I never really expected something this… sophisticated."**

"**Aw, shucks, Mr. Parker. You didn't think a good old Roswell alien boy like me had it in him?" Max asked, doing the best Andy Griffith impression he could muster.**

"**You know what I mean, Max… and for the record, it took me a good while to come to terms with that… your past and all, I mean. But this whole complex is huge and… and… well, sophisticated. I forget that I'm underwater at all in here. And your transportation system is amazing. Everything seems to work so well here. You've really made a place for yourself… and for Liz… and for the children."**

**Max smiled. "Well, I can't take responsibility, really, for the complex. The original one was built a hundred thousand years ago. It's been refurbished many times over the years and was rebuilt completely twenty-seven times, or roughly every 3,500 years. The last time was about four hundred years ago."**

"**That's some pretty outstanding lasting power. What do they build these city domes out of? It can't be steel and glass!"**

**Max shook his head. "Steel would rust in a short time… and glass is too fragile, even in its strongest forms. The domes… and all of the structures in them… are composed of a polymer made from the nacre-like secretions of three different Antarian mollusks. In a sense, our domes are huge, clear clam shells and our cities are reefs."**

"**Well, that explains why they're so durable and appropriate for the environment. But don't you have a problem finding enough clams… or whatever the mollusks are that you get building materiel from?"**

"**We don't harm them, we farm them… the way some pearl cultivators grow pearls in oysters. There are huge farms of two of the mollusks we use outside of Aluzia. The other is not far from Grelligo. These farms harvest copious amounts of the nacreous substance from the mollusks, with no harm to the mollusks. We keep the substance in solution until we're ready to shape it into a dome or a wall or whatever. Once it's shaped, it's allowed to harden. The original cities were made using nacre from only one species of mollusk, known here as the xerat. It looks a lot like a giant clam but grows to be about fourteen feet wide. The xerat's nacre hardens into a sort of mother-of-pearl, which is what nacre is. The original inhabitants polished it until it was thin enough to see through in places. That original dome was still functional and solid when it was replaced with a bigger dome 3,000 years later. None of the domes has ever worn out or broken. They're only replaced to make them larger, to accommodate something new, like the slider tubes, or because we've upgraded the product, as we did when we combined the xerat's nacre with the nacre of the kopro and the axlyy. Kopros look like huge, hundred-pound queen conchs, and axlyys… really can't be described. The axlyy's nacre is the clearest substance known on Antar. It needs no polishing and can remain equally thick at all its points. The unique polymer obtained by combining the three substances is also virtually indestructible. It practically lives and breathes. It just doesn't deteriorate. Our biggest problem is getting rid of the old domes when we want to replace them."**

"**Well, if this one's only four hundred years old, you won't have to do that for, what? Another 3,100 years, give or take?"**

**Max nodded. "Or whenever someone decides that something should be upgraded or expanded. It could be ten years from now or ten thousand years from now. Either way, this dome will still look just like it does now when it's finally replaced."**

"**Amazing."**

**Jeff and Max watched the children chase Jung-Jo through the lounge again. Nancy was still with them; if she was tiring yet, she wasn't showing it. **

"**I'm really surprised that your double agreed to leave his pet behind when they left."**

**Max nodded. "He caved in to the kids. But we won't get to keep Jung-Jo. They're sending the portal for him before they jump to the other dimension."**

"**How are you going to coax that thing into the portal?"**

"**I have a feeling we won't have to, but we'll solve that problem when we come to it."**

**As Max spoke, three of the children ran up to him.**

"**Did you guys get tired of playing with Jung-Jo?"**

**Alexina sniffed and looked at Max with sad eyes. "Jung-Jo disappeared. The portal came, and he went in it."**

"**Well, that answers that," Jeff said.**

"**Aw, Honey…" Max picked his ten-year-old daughter up… "Jung-Jo had to go back home. He has a family to return to, too. I know he'll miss you guys, though."**

"**Daddy," Claudie said, as an idea seemed to pop into her ever-scheming little head, "Couldn't we use the portal and go to a dry Antar and get our own pet pawgor?"**

"**It wouldn't be Jung-Jo," Alexina said emphatically.**

**Max nodded. "I'm afraid Alex is right. Jung-Jo is sort of special… I've been told. Pawgors aren't usually friendly like Jung-Jo was. They're dangerous. Jung-Jo is the first one ever tamed. They saved him when he was a baby, and raised him."**

"**We could save a baby pawgor, Daddy," Bria said, "And bring it back."**

**Max smiled. "It wouldn't work like with Jung-Jo, Bri. He's just one of a kind."**

**Bria nodded. "I know, but I miss him."**

**The girls looked upward, then all the other children looked upward, too, as Nancy stood behind them, her arms around as many of them as she could reach around.**

"**Goodbye, Jung-Jo! Don't forget us!" eight-year-old Jeffrey said.**

"**I can guarantee you that Jung-Jo will never forget you," Nancy said, "He had a great time."**

**The children smiled and turned to Nancy… "You're it!" Bria said, tapping her grandmother on the arm and running. Instantly, the other children scattered, too, disappearing in all directions. Nancy took a deep breath and breathed it out slowly. "I know I'm going to feel this tomorrow… but what the hey… You only live once!"**

**Jeff looked at Max and chuckled, as Nancy rushed off after the children. **

"**Fame is fleeting… even for a pawgor."**

**Max nodded. "But the warm place in their hearts will never forget him."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Onboard the New Granolith, the air shimmered and Jung-Jo stepped through onto the ship's bridge. **

"**Our crew is complete," Max said, turning to Varec then to Michael, who was at the controls in the co-pilot's seat. "Take it away, Sulu."**

"**Yes, Captain," Michael replied, passing his hand over the preset control. As he did, a beam leapt out in front of the ship, and an immense tunnel-like vortex appeared in front of them. Max turned and looked at Quinn…**

"**Impressed?"**

**Quinn nodded. "Very!"**

"**Take us in, Michael. Everyone hold on."**

**Michael aimed the ship at the mouth of the vortex and took it over the rim. Suddenly, the ship was grabbed by something within the vortex and pulled in at the speed of light. Then the vortex was gone.**

**A moment later, the New Granolith shot out of the vortex on the other end, and Max looked out the bridge window and smiled. "There it is… Earth… your Earth… straight ahead."**

**The five Sliders gathered in front of the window to look. They were probably about twice as far out as the moon, a mere hop for the New Granolith. Michael pushed the ship forward at approach speed, and five minutes later, they passed the moon. Then he slowed the ship to final approach speed. Twelve minutes later, they soared into earth's atmosphere, fully cloaked, and made their way across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco. As they approached Quinn's house, Michael took the ship down to two hundred feet.**

"**You're all staying for the wedding, aren't you?" Quinn asked, putting his arm around a smiling Maggie Beckett, "Maggie and I plan to be wed three days from today. We need long enough to prepare and to get my family together, but we knew that you guys wouldn't be able to stay any longer than that. Maggie and I would really like for you to be there."**

**Max looked at Michael and the others. Everyone shrugged then nodded and smiled. He noticed that Wade smiled, too; but it was only her lips, not her eyes that were smiling.**

"**If we all have to be off of the ship at the same time, we will not be able to leave it parked here. There's too much air traffic," said Varec, "So I created a remote control for the ship. We can send it into space and put it in a safe orbit. When it's needed, I'll be able to recall it." Varec handed Max and Michael separate controls, like the one in his own hand, a small, flip-cover device that looked like and was about the size of a matchbook.**

"**What's this," Max asked.**

"**Redundancy… in case we lose one of the remotes or something happens to it… each one of us has one. Any of us can call the ship back."**

"**What if someone else found the remote… or stole it," Michael asked.**

"**The devices are coded to the DNA on file for the three of us. Any of the three of us will be able to operate any of the three remote controls, but no one else can."**

"**Good thinking."**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The day of the wedding found everyone up early. Professor Arturo taught his morning classes then headed to his favorite barber shop for a much-needed touching up of his hair and beard, but he had to ask the shop keeper to pull the shades. It seemed that everywhere the Sliders went now they were followed by news teams and paparazzi. They had, in only three days, become celebrities. Everybody wanted to know everything there was to know about them… about their adventures… and about the amazing vortex. Max and the rest of the crew of the New Granolith tried to keep low profiles; and for the most part, they had more or less succeeded… only because the cameras had plenty of other targets of opportunity at the moment, and because most people assumed that they were from Maggie's world, which had been destroyed by a supernova. So they assumed that, like Maggie, these new arrivals would still be around to talk to for awhile.**

**But far from San Francisco, one person sat in darkness, watching the news tape he had recorded earlier. He saw Quinn and his companions, but he was more interested in the shy group shunning the cameras. He paused the tape again and leaned in close to the screen… "I knew they'd turn up again someday. So it begins."**

**Daniel Pierce stood up and took out his cell phone, as he closed his office door and locked it…**

"**Andy? Yeah, Dan here. Have you been watching? Yeah, it's him… the 'king' himself… and his whole entourage… the ones that gave us the slip down in Roswell before we could get our team together. It looks like they've finally returned… and they brought an advance invasion force back with them… those kids pretending to have accidentally discovered parallel worlds. Get the guys together. We're going to a wedding."**

**The morning passed peacefully in San Francisco, as everyone prepared for Quinn and Maggie's wedding. Alex had resigned himself to the apparent fact that Quinn would not be marrying Wade, in spite of his lingering certainty that Quinn and Wade loved each other and that Maggie wasn't right for him. But he had done all he could. Now he had to accept that their lives were in their hands… maybe…**

**Four o'clock came, and the guests gathered in the garden outside a small chapel not far from where Quinn and Wade lived. Because of the wedding couple's celebrity status, great effort had been taken to assure the wedding group as much privacy as possible from the media and from curious prying eyes, though quite a few people were allowed in as guests and as guests of the guests. The street leading to the chapel was closed off, and a police cruiser was stationed at the end to enforce it.**

**By 4:15, all the invited guests were present and seated, and the wedding began, with Liz, Maria, Isabel, and Tess acting as bridesmaids, and Remmy, Michael, and Max acting as ushers, and Professor Arturo as best man. Wade had been asked to be maid of honor but had declined.**

"…**We are gathered here today to…" the preacher began.**

**Wade closed her eyes, as something tugged at her heart, like a memory that just wouldn't come out and yet wouldn't go away… **

"**_Quinn, Let's get married… right here… right now."_**

**She put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes. **

**_"He's mine!" Maggie objected, pulling Quinn back by the other arm, "He loves me!"_**

"**_He loves me more,"_** **Wade heard herself say, and she saw herself pulling Quinn the other way again.**

"**If anyone knows any reason why…" the preacher continued…**

**Maggie looked at Quinn and grinned.**

**Wade looked up at the sky for a moment in an effort to remove the unwanted flashes from her mind; and as she did, the silence was broken…**

"**NO! STOP!"**

**The words had a terminal effect, like a record being scratched by someone suddenly pushing the needle across it. The "music" came to a quick and sudden end, and everyone turned to see who had spoken the fateful words…**

"**This marriage cannot proceed…"**

**End of Chapter 42**

**tbc…**


	44. Chapter 43

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**For Whom The Bells Toll, Part1 **

**Chapter 43**

**XLIII**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Wade gasped and put both hands over her mouth. Had she said what she was thinking out loud? She was mortified to think that she had let her personal feelings ruin Quinn's wedding. And now everyone was staring at her. What would she say?**

"**This marriage cannot proceed… until I have spoken with Captain Beckett."**

**Wade jumped and turned around. She had not even noticed the mist that had appeared in the aisle beside her, nor had she noticed the man who had stepped out of the mist. It was he everyone was staring at. Wade sank into her seat, somehow relieved. **

**The man walked purposefully down the aisle, as a general might, as though he owned the place, and Maggie gasped…**

"**Jonathan? Oh my gosh! Where did you come from? I thought… you had died!"**

"**I am happy to say that any rumor to that effect was premature. Many of us found refuge on an uninhabited world before the super nova destroyed our world, but the KroMaggs followed us. We're making a stand, Maggie. I was charged with finding you and bringing you back… if you will come. We need all the help we can get. Your experience could make the difference between our people… what's left of us… finding new lives on a new world or… being eradicated totally by the KroMaggs."**

**Maggie looked at Quinn apologetically and handed him her bouquet. "I'm sorry, Quinn. I love you… I really do. I hope you know that and will always remember it… but my duty…"**

"**I'll come with you."**

**Maggie shook her head. "No… It's not your fight. We may not survive against the KroMaggs."**

"**Then don't go."**

"**I'm a captain in the marines. I have a duty."**

"**Your duty ended when a super nova destroyed your world."**

"**My duty to an institution ended… not my duty to my people. Can you understand, Quinn?"**

**Quinn looked down then nodded quietly. "I've put my life in danger before, Maggie. I'll come with you. I'm not afraid to die."**

**Maggie shook her head and kissed Quinn lightly on the lips. "You would be a distraction… for me. I need to give all of me to the cause if we are to succeed. Goodbye, Quinn."**

**Quinn staggered and watched as Maggie disappeared into the mist with Jonathan. Then he looked at the crowd that had gathered for the wedding. What would he say? They looked as stunned as he was.**

**Alex leaned over and whispered something to Jung-Jo, lying quietly beside him on the far side, away from the aisle, and Jung-Jo hopped up and trotted gingerly around the seats until he got to Wade. He took her gently by the arm and pulled, but she resisted, so Jung-Jo put his mouth around her waist. This brought gasps from the guests, many of whom believed that the strange saber-toothed cat that the Sliders had brought back with them was going to eat Wade right in front of them. But instead, Jung-Jo gently lifted her off her chair and carried her to the front, then he put her down next to Quinn, on her feet.**

**Quinn looked at Alex and shook his head in disbelief, then he smiled at Wade.**

"**I lied," Wade said quietly, "I do love you, Quinn. I didn't want to ruin what you had with Maggie, because I knew she was what you wanted… and what you needed to be happy."**

**Quinn took Wade's hands in his and shook his head. "You turned down my proposal just so I could marry Maggie?"**

**Wade nodded sheepishly.**

"**Wade, Maggie is an amazing woman, but she can't hold a candle to you. As much as I loved her… and I did… I love you more. You're special. But you and I always had sort of an agreement… to be friends. I didn't want to ruin that. And when I asked, you said…"**

"**I know," Wade nodded, "I said that I didn't love you like that. It was the hardest lie I ever told in my life. I was sick all night."**

"**And you did that for me?"**

"**Well, I didn't do it for her?"**

**Quinn smiled, then he got down on one knee, still holding Wade's hands in his…**

"**Wade, will you marry me?" **

**This unexpected turn brought thunderous applause from the guests.**

**Wade smiled, and tears ran down her cheeks. She dared not try to speak, so she just nodded, but the smile on her face told Quinn all he needed to know. And this time, the smile was also in her eyes.**

"**I'd like to have time to prepare, Quinn… a day or two. I want this to be our wedding, not yours and Maggie's. I don't want to be the leftovers at her wedding."**

**Quinn smiled. "Wade, you'll never be leftovers. You're definitely…"**

**Wade put one finger on Quinn's lips. "Save it. You can tell me later… after we're married."**

"**When do you want to do it, Wade?"**

**Wade's eyes opened wide, and she smiled.**

"**Get married! Get married, I mean!" **

"**Can I have till day after tomorrow… about this time… right here in the garden?"**

"**You can have anything you want."**

**Quinn turned to the guests… "We're going to have a slight delay, just till day after tomorrow… same time. I hope you'll all be here."**

"**I wouldn't miss it for the world," one man said, standing up with his wife, "This is real entertainment!"**

**His wife smiled, looking slightly embarrassed, but she didn't contradict him. One by one, the guests all filed out of the garden and drove off, leaving Quinn and Wade together with just each other and the group from the New Granolith.**

"**I wanted Mom and Dad to be at my wedding," Wade said to Quinn. "I want Dad to give me away. But I want you guys to be here, too," she said, turning to Liz and Max. Can you stay just two more days?"**

"**I wouldn't miss it for the world," Michael said, mimicking the man who had left earlier, "This is entertainment. How often do you get to see a pawgor carry the bride up to the groom?"**

**Wade grinned. "Well, I had something else in mind for Jung-Jo this time. Isabel told me that he has some experience in this already."**

**Liz looked at Jung-Jo, then she suddenly knew what Wade was talking about. "You want Jung-Jo to be the ring bearer?"**

**Wade nodded emphatically. "Is that okay?"**

"**I think Jung-Jo would be delighted," Liz said, "He's becoming such a ham."**

"**Do you think… the droids on the ship could make me a wedding gown, too? Isabel said they work fast and they've done it before."**

**Liz nodded. "I'll get them right on it. You'll need to come back to the ship tonight and choose the style you like… and take some measurements."**

"**Okay. Eight o'clock?"**

"**We'll come get you at eight."**

**Max and his group turned and walked into the little chapel. From there, they would call the ship and transfer up to it… out of sight of prying eyes. Finally alone, Quinn and Wade went for a walk together, but as they reached the road, they were suddenly surrounded by black cars. Then seven men jumped out, armed to the teeth. **

"**Stop right there!"**

"**Who are you?" Quinn asked, stepping in front of Wade.**

"**Name's Pierce… Daniel Pierce. You can relax. It's Max I'm looking for. I've already checked you both out. You're human."**

"**You're the FBI guy… the one with the secret unit," Quinn said, remembering Max and the others telling them about Pierce once.**

"**Where's Max?"**

"**You're too late. He's gone."**

"**Gone where?"**

**Quinn pulled out his timer and pressed the button; and when he did, the vortex appeared.**

"**Where does that go?"**

"**To another place… where they're safe."**

"**They walked into that thing?"**

**Quinn nodded.**

"**Come on," Pierce said, waving to the other men, who looked a bit less eager than Pierce did. Pierce rushed into the vortex followed by all six of his men, then the vortex closed.**

"**Where did they go?" Wade asked.**

"**I'm not sure. I think it's a KroMagg world. They want to fight aliens… let them fight KroMaggs. They're not aliens, but they're as alien as you can get on earth. We need to tell Max that this guy was looking for him. When they come to take you to the ship at eight, I'll go with you."**

"**Yeah, that's a good idea. Do you think Pierce can get back here?"**

**Quinn smiled. "Not a chance. He doesn't have the timer."**

"**The KroMaggs have slider capabilities."**

**Quinn nodded. "He would have to form an alliance with them. Somehow I don't see that happening. My bet is, Pierce and all his men will either be dead or in a KroMagg camp by nightfall."**

"**Ugh! As repulsive as that thought is, I can't think of anyone more deserving."**

**Quinn smiled.**

**End of Chapter 43**

**tbc…**


	45. Chapter 44

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**For Whom The Bells Toll, Part 2**

**Chapter 44**

**XLIV**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Michael watched the gardens fill to capacity in anticipation of Wade and Quinn's wedding… "You know what, Max? I think we should be selling tickets. This place is full already, and these are just their friends and relatives."**

**Max nodded. "Hometown girl. Everyone knows her."**

"**Or claims to… now that she's famous," Michael replied.**

"**Well, one thing's pretty evident," Isabel interjected, "They certainly seem to like the idea that Wade's the one marrying Quinn."**

"**They didn't know Maggie," Max said, "She didn't have the hometown girl advantage."**

**Michael raised his eyebrows. "I think it's the fairytale element. Cinderella wins out over the evil stepsister."**

"**I wouldn't describe Maggie as the evil stepsister," Max scoffed, "She wasn't bad… really." **

**Michael shrugged. "No, but there's still that fairytale element. Wade is the princess who… who kissed the toad and turned him into a handsome prince."**

**The others laughed. "So Quinn is a toad?" Maria asked.**

"**Not anymore. Now that he's marrying Wade he's a handsome prince… in the public's opinion."**

"**You've been talking to Alex too much… You're starting to sound like him," Tess said, giggling, "where is Alex anyway?"**

"**He's around somewhere," Isabel said, "Acting insufferably proud of himself because he was right when he said that Maggie's devotion to Quinn wasn't as deep as Wade's and that Maggie had a past life that could come back to drive a wedge between the two of them. Boy, did she ever!"**

"**I guess Alex called it," Liz agreed, "Sometimes I think he has a crystal ball."**

**Isabel smiled. "He's just good at gauging people… and he's a matchmaker at heart… and he's stubborn, too."**

**Michael snorted. "I'll vouch for that! He's like a bulldog that won't let go… when he thinks he's right."**

"**I was right," Alex said, walking up at that moment, "Never doubt the Alex!"**

"**Oh it's THE Alex now?" Michael asked.**

"**The… or Sir to you."**

"**That'll be the day!"**

"**I was right. Admit it!"**

"**Yeah, okay… you were right… this time. But we all knew it. Some of us just didn't want to interfere in their private lives."**

**Alex grinned. "Somebody had to."**

"**I still can't believe you sent Jung-Jo to drag her up to the altar," Michael said, rolling his eyes, "You took a huge risk."**

**Alex laughed. "It wasn't so risky. I knew what they both wanted. I just had to make them see it."**

"**Well, I was ready to tell everyone that you crashed the party and that I never saw you before… if it didn't work."**

"**Oh ye of little faith!"**

"**Yeah, well… I don't have a lot of faith in any human except Maria… and you're not Maria. You're not God, either. You can screw up."**

**Alex grinned. "But I didn't."**

"**The wedding's starting," Max said in a hushed whisper, as the music began to play, "Let's take our places. You guys cut out the mutual admiration stuff for a while."**

**Quinn and his best man, Professor Arturo, walked in from the side and assumed their places at the front, as did the pastor who was performing the ceremony. Then Max, Michael, and Alex, looking very dapper and smiling, joined the other ushers to escort the bridesmaids down the aisle.**

**Suddenly, as they neared the front, there was a small commotion, and gasps were heard from some of the guests, as Jung-Jo appeared, walking regally down the aisle, head held high, wearing a special-made tuxedo vest and a bow tie. Wade's little sister walked beside him, carrying flowers that she dropped along the way. As Jung-Jo and the little flower girl neared the front, the music changed to "Here Comes The Bride," and everyone turned to look. **

**There were gasps… then more gasps. Wade walked slowly down the aisle, on her father's arm, a radiant smile on her face, wearing a stunning white wedding gown that for its sheer beauty and elegance could have rivaled anything a real princess might have worn. But it was her own smiling face that added the touch of perfection. Max glanced at Quinn and noticed that he looked stunned… and maybe just a little goofy. Max smiled. Fortunately, all eyes were on the bride-to-be. Quinn quickly realized that his jaw was hanging open and assumed a more dignified look. Even Max could not deny that Quinn did strike a handsome pose decked out in his tux, with a smile on his face. And as Wade stood beside him, it was hard not to think that the only thing missing was the carriage for this to be a fairytale wedding… the wedding of a prince and princess of legends. Obviously, the guests thought so. The sighs and ahs were audible, and not an eye in the crowd was dry.**

"**Friends, we are gathered together to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"**

**Quinn glanced at Wade and beamed, and Wade found that she had to struggle to keep her smile from growing bigger than her face, if that were possible. She certainly didn't want to look like Alice's Cheshire cat… all grin and no face. But she needn't have been concerned. The guests loved it.**

"…**If there is anyone present who knows any cause why this couple should not be married let them speak now or forever hold their peace…"**

**Quinn glanced casually at the crowd and smiled… _(They better not. I'll send anyone who makes a peep to a world sooooo far away…)_**

"**Who gives this woman away?"**

"**I do," Wade's father said, but Quinn only vaguely heard him. _(It's funny… I've cherished my independence… and yet… I feel like… Wade IS my independence now… and my future. It just feels right somehow. With Maggie I was never this sure.)_**

"**Would you please face each other and join hands."**

**Quinn took Wade's hands in his and smiled.**

**(_He looks like a god… my Adonis… I think I'm going to wake up and find out this was all a dream.)_**

**(_She followed me into hell… literally almost. She didn't have to. She could have stayed in San Francisco in comfort. She didn't have to go sliding through a hundred parallel words, risking her life a hundred times over… all for me. What did I ever do to deserve her? I can't believe I came so close to losing her.)_**

"**Quinn Mallory, do you take Wade Welles to be your wife… to love, honor, cherish, and protect her… forsaking all others and holding only to her forevermore?"**

"**I do." (_More than you'll ever know.)_**

"**Wade Welles, do you take Quinn Mallory to be your husband… to love, honor, cherish, and protect him… forsaking all others and holding only to him forevermore?"**

"**I do." (_God, just don't let me wake up! If this is a dream, I don't want to ever wake up.)_**

**The pastor smiled then tried to look stern… "Throughout time, nothing has endured more than love or been more important than love. We are told that 'God is Love.' We are assured that 'Love conquers all.' It is love which brings you here today, the union of two hearts and two spirits. As your lives continue to interweave as one pattern, remember that love will make this a glorious union, and love will cause this union to endure. **

**Paul said, _Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels but do not have love, I am only sounding brass or tinkling cymbals._**

_**Though I have the gift of prophecy and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.**_

**_Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing._**

_**Love endures and is kind. **_

_**Love is not envious or jealous.**_

_**Love wants not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, it is not easily provoked, and thinks no evil.**_

**_Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but in the truth._**

_**Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. **_

**_Love never fails._**

_**Where there are prophecies, they shall fail, where there be tongues, they shall cease, where there be knowledge, it shall vanish away… **_

**_So faith, hope, love remain -these three- but the greatest of these is love_."**

**The pastor stopped and looked at Quinn…**

"**Is there a ring?"**

**Jung-Jo perked up at the word "ring," and he rubbed his head against Quinn. Quinn reached out and untied a small attachment from the bow tie around Jung-Jo's neck, removing from it a ring, which he slipped onto Wade's finger…**

"**Wade, with this ring, I give you my heart, my body, and my soul. All that I am or ever will be I give to you… for as long as I shall live, and if possible, beyond that, to the end of time and further. All that we have seen together, experienced together, and struggled with together has bound us more closely to each other, but it is nothing compared to the new lives that await us now… as husband and wife."**

**Jung-Jo purred quietly and rubbed against Wade, looking very contented. Wade reached out and removed the second attachment from Jung-Jo's bow tie. Then she slipped it onto Quinn's finger…**

"**Quinn, this ring is a perfect circle. It has no beginning and no end, and so shall our love be. I can't remember when I started loving you, and I know in my heart and soul that I will never know the day when I don't love you anymore. We are, and forever will be, one. Wherever you go, I will follow, because, of all the possessions, of all the riches, of all the material things that I could have in this world, there is none that I want more than you. Your love fills my heart and gives meaning to my life. It is the most important thing on this earth –or in any dimension- to me."**

**Quinn was glad that he had already said his part, because he wasn't sure that he would be able to speak now without his voice breaking. He wiped his eyes quickly and smiled.**

"**There is nothing more important than love… in any place in time… or in any culture," the pastor continued, "I want to send you into your new lives with these thoughts… the first is an Apache blessing. It goes like this:**

**_Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other.  
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other.  
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life beyond.  
Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life together.  
And may your days be good and long upon the earth._**

**And the second is a Cherokee prayer:**

**_God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.  
We honor all you created as we pledge our hearts and lives together.  
We honor mother earth and ask for our marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons;  
We honor fire and ask that our union be warm and glowing with love in our hearts;  
We honor wind and ask we sail though life safe and calm as in our father's arms;  
We honor water… to clean and soothe our relationship… that it may never thirst for love;  
With all the forces of the universe you created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as we forever grow young together. Amen._**

**Quinn Mallory… Wade Welles… I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."**

**Quinn grinned and swept Wade into his arms, kissing her with… well, not quite all of the passion he had pent up in him at the moment. Some of it would just have to wait. But Jung-Jo put one paw over his eyes, which brought giggles and laughter from the guests.**

**"We're married," Quinn said.**

**Wade nodded and smiled. At this moment, she didn't care if she did look like Alice's Cheshire cat.**

**End of Chapter 44**

**tbc…**


	46. Chapter 45

**Sliding Into Antar **

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The Final Voyage **

**Chapter 45**

**XLV**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Daniel Pierce and the six men who had gone through the vortex with him huddled together under a ledge in a mountainous region of a parallel earth in which the KroMaggs had gained a tenuous control. They watched as something that looked like a "flying saucer" flew slowly by not far away… again. It was searching for them. It hadn't taken long for the seven men to realize that this world was hostile. A few laser rays fired in their direction had been a pretty good clue. They had been forced to seek refuge almost as soon as they had tumbled out of the vortex. **

"**Sir, are we on another planet?" William Benson asked, looking around.**

**Pierce sighed with frustration and shook his head. "We're in a parallel dimension… We're still on earth. The aliens have taken over this earth. This is what happens when nobody in government has the guts to search out and eradicate the bastards and we have to put together a covert unit to do it. The aliens get a foothold and they take over."**

"**Sir, I think we're outnumbered."**

**Pierce looked at Benson with disgust. "Tell me something I don't know, Benson."**

"**Well, I was just thinking… maybe we ought to retreat and regroup… You know… get reinforcements."**

"**There are no reinforcements, Benson. It's us against them. Get used to it."**

"**How are we going to get back… sir?"**

**Pierce didn't answer.**

"**I mean… if we're stuck here… should we still call you… you know… Pierce?"**

**Pierce glared at Benson. "To you, I am Pierce."**

"**Yes, sir. I just thought…"**

"**Don't think, Benson. It gives you headaches." **

"**Yes, sir."**

**Benson sat down dejectedly and looked at Mack Carter. Carter shrugged… "It's best to keep up the front, Will. We don't want to slip up. If we do get back to our world, or if we capture or kill the aliens, it's important that everyone still believes that Fletcher is Pierce. Pierce had the connections… three senators are in his pocket. If they ever find out that Pierce isn't really Pierce… it would destroy the unit permanently. That's why Fletcher had his face changed six months after Pierce disappeared… so when he 'showed up' again and explained that he had been abducted by the aliens and that they had horribly disfigured him and he had needed plastic surgery, the guys up there would believe it. It's a perfect cover. We can't do anything that might jeopardize it."**

**Benson nodded. "I guess so. I had the aliens' leader, the Evans kid, you know… in my sights… fourteen years ago. I had the red dot right on his heart, but Fletcher said wait! He wanted everyone to be in place… and we lost them."**

"**You think that hasn't chewed up my guts for the last fourteen years, Benson? I was there, too, you know. We all were. We almost had them… except somebody didn't do their homework and didn't know that the Guerin kid wasn't graduating and would show up and save the others… on a motorbike!"**

"**Well, the lights going out suddenly like they did had a lot to do with it, too, Carter. I still think they did that themselves… with their alien powers."**

"**What do you think really happened to Pierce, Benson?"**

"**What do you think? They got him. That body will never be found."**

"**The aliens?"**

"**Yeah."**

**Carter nodded. "That's what I think, too."**

"**HEADS UP!" Fletcher screamed, "THEY'RE HEADING OUR WAY!"**

**Carter, Benson, and the others watched as the saucer headed in their direction.**

"**Do you think they found us," Scapparelli asked.**

"**We'll know in a minute," Carter replied, ducking down behind a small bluff under the ledge. **

**The UFO continued to come… straight toward the ledge. "I think you have your answer," Fletcher said. "We can bring that thing down… the seven of us. We have automatic weapons. We just have to hit it right." Fletcher waited until the craft was almost on top of them, then he leapt out and aimed his gun carefully, searching for a vulnerable point on the craft. He found it and started firing. The other six men followed his lead and fired, too. Moments later, the saucer tilted to one side, then it went down hard about a hundred meters from them. Fletcher and his men rushed to the craft to try to surprise the "aliens" as they came out… if the aliens survived the crash. But it was Fletcher and his men who wound up being caught in the trap. As soon as they were out from under the ledge, a group of KroMaggs rushed in behind them. Distracted by the UFO, Fletcher and his men didn't notice the KroMaggs until it was too late.**

"**Ar Ga! Shto na kor!"**

**Fletcher whirled around and fired, but he did not have time to get a good aim. The KroMagg did. Fletcher crumpled to the ground, smoke pouring from a twelve inch hole that went all the way through his chest and out his back. He would not be getting back up.**

**The six men with Fletcher quickly tossed their guns down and raised their hands, but the KroMaggs picked one of them off anyway… **

"**That is what will happen to anyone who defies us," the KroMagg who had fired said, as the body of Boris Ivanovich lay smoldering beside Fletcher's, a twelve inch hole in his stomach. Sensing that they were doomed, one of the men, Mike Harkins, dove for the gun he had thrown away. He dodged the KroMagg's ray and returned fire, hitting the KroMagg in the heart… or at least, right where the heart should have been. But the KroMagg didn't fall, so Harkins shot him again… and again. Finally, the KroMagg fell, but it was an exercise in futility. There were eleven more, and they had him in hand immediately. One of the KroMaggs took Harkins' gun from him and slowly bent it in half as Harkins watched. Then he grinned, and Harkins saw a mouth full of what could only be described as fangs. These creatures, whatever they were, were incredibly ugly. Harkins wondered if this was what Max Evans and his "gang" really looked like. He prepared himself to die. The two KroMaggs on either side of him, holding his arms, were huge, much bigger than himself… and strong as a team of oxen. **

"**Go ahead! Shoot me! At least I'll die fighting!"**

**The KroMagg on his right laughed. "We have something better in mind for you. We need you… to work… with the other humans we have captured. You're ours now." The KroMagg turned the body of his dead KroMagg companion over with his foot and laughed again.**

"**Well, there's no love lost between them," Scapparelli whispered to Carter.**

"**What did you say?" the KroMagg asked, suddenly looking at Scapparelli.**

"**That you're an ugly son of a…" Scapparelli started to say defiantly, but a large hand backhanded him hard enough to send him flying ten feet through the air. He landed with the breath knocked out of him and his lip bleeding.**

**The KroMagg stood over Scapparelli… bald headed… toothy grin… all seven feet of him, Scapparelli estimated. It was hard to believe that they were so technologically advanced and at the same time so primevally ugly and ruthless.**

"**The first thing you need to learn," the KroMagg said, kicking Scapparelli in the side, "Is to respect a lady… if you're going to work for us."**

"**Carter looked at Benson, his eyes wide. "That's a female? How do you tell?"**

"**You'll learn to," the KroMagg said, grabbing Carter by the feet and picking him up upside down with one hand to look him in the eyes. "I am a lady. Got that? The others here are not."**

"**Go- Got it," Carter choked.**

**Fletcher and Ivanovich were dead. There were five men left now, and every one of them knew that the rest of their lives, however long or short that might be, were going to be spent as slaves to these "aliens." It was, arguably, better than what they had themselves planned to do to Max, Michael, Isabel, Liz, and Maria. The KroMaggs, ruthless as they were, had no white room to torture people in and didn't try to slaughter kids at their graduation. They just had a need for workers… workers who would do very hard labor… as their slaves. They had a world to finish conquering and a KroMagg society to build, with all its infrastructure. Little did Fletcher's men know that the KroMaggs were not aliens at all. They were a distinct line that had split off from the Neanderthals. In most dimensions, they had died out in prehistoric times… before ever becoming what these creatures were. But in a few dimensions, KroMaggs ruled.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

"**We're going to miss you guys," Liz said, hugging Wade warmly and smiling at Quinn, "We won't be here when you get back from your honeymoon."**

**Wade smiled sympathetically. "I know. I hope you find your planet soon. Nobody knows better than we do how much you miss home."**

"**I hope we meet again someday," Quinn said, offering Max and then the others his hand and hugging the girls. "It's been a great experience. I would really love to have had more time to talk with Varec. I wish we could see your planet. It must be beautiful." **

**Professor Arturo nodded. "Indeed! I, for one, shall count myself forever fortunate to have met all of you… and your amazing pet saber tooth cat, Jung-Jo. It has been quite the adventure!"**

"**Yeah, you never thought you'd meet an alien who soaked cocoa puffs in Tabasco sauce, did you, Professor," Alex said with a grin.**

**Professor Arturo chuckled, but Michael seemed unamused, and Alex knew that he would have to watch himself. Eventually, Michael would get him back, probably when he least expected it and in a way that would embarrass him the most. He would definitely have to be on his toes and alert. But it seemed worth the risk… at least at the moment.**

"**Varec has been keeping a record of where each Antar we visit is located," Max said, "And we plan to revisit some of them… after we've found our way back to our own world… and once we know how to get there and get back without getting lost again."**

**Quinn smiled sheepishly. "I guess that was our fault. It was our vortex that threw your ship off course. I wish we could do something to correct it."**

**Max smiled. "It wasn't your fault. It was just blind fate… dumb luck. Varec will figure out something. We'll get back home."**

"**I'll do some calculations, too," Quinn said, then he looked at Wade and grinned… "After the honeymoon."**

"**Don't worry about us," Max said, "You won't be able to get a message to us anyway where we'll be. Enjoy your honeymoon."**

"**We will," Wade said enthusiastically, and Quinn nodded and grinned.**

"**I wanted to thank Jung Jo," Wade added, "He was great."**

**Max laughed. "Jung Jo loves to help. He's a natural ham. If he could talk, he'd be thanking you for asking him to do it."**

"**Well, give him a kiss for me," Wade said.**

**Max looked at Michael. "I'm putting you in charge of that, Michael."**

"**Thanks," Michael said sarcastically.**

"**I'll do it," Liz said.**

"**Oh, by the way," Quinn added, "That FBI guy you told us about… I think his name was Pierce… the one that was always chasing you guys… He showed up looking for you. I forgot to tell you."**

"**Where is he?" Michael asked, suddenly going on full alert.**

**Quinn smiled. "In another dimension… on a KroMagg controlled world, I think. I opened the vortex and told him you guys went through it, and the dumb ass jumped into the vortex… All six of his men followed him."**

"**Six?" Michael asked. "What did they look like?"**

"**Your usual goons," Quinn said, trying to remember, "One of them had a long, jagged scar right here on his face and a tattoo of a dagger dripping blood on his left bicep. I remember that. He was very muscular."**

**Michael's eyes glazed over and he frowned… "Graduation. He was there at graduation. He's the only one I actually saw. I'll never forget him. He's burned into my memory. Did he have motorbike tread marks down his back?"**

**Quinn laughed. "I didn't check."**

"**He did," Michael said, with an air of certainty. "When I was going into the auditorium, he was standing on the steps outside. I guess he had arrived late. He had a rifle with one of those laser scopes on it, and he had the red dot on Maria's head. The son of a…" Michael stopped and looked at Wade… "Sorry."**

**Wade smiled. "It's alright. My ears have heard worse. They won't fall off."**

"**He was going to blow Maria's brains out right there at graduation, so I ran over him on my way up the stairs. When I came back out with Max on the bike with me, the guy was still lying there, so I ran over him again on the way back down. He should have a good set of tread marks on his back."**

"**I would've loved to have seen that," Quinn said, amused. "But where he is right now, he's probably wishing that was all the abuse he was getting… if he's still alive."**

**Michael smiled. "And they can't get back here, right?"**

"**Not a chance," Quinn said, holding up the timer, "I've got the timer. They're stuck there… with the KroMaggs."**

"**Good. On behalf of our doubles in this dimension, wherever they are, we all thank you. And it will make your lives easier, too. Who knows if they would have decided that you guys were aliens or something, too, having been to parallel words and all. So I say good riddance to them."**

**Max nodded. "I agree with Michael. With them gone, you guys… and our doubles… wherever they are… can live in peace. Have a happy honeymoon!"**

"**You'll remember to thank Jung Jo?" Wade asked.**

"**I'll give him a kiss and a hug for you," Liz said, smiling. "You guys enjoy yourselves."**

**And so, with a few heartfelt goodbyes, the visit to Quinn and Wade's earth came to an end.**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**As the New Granolith rose into the sky, Quinn and Wade watched…**

"**We'll meet again, my friends," Quinn said, waving, "I feel it."**

**Max sighed and looked at Michael. "Well, do we head into the next dimension?"**

"**We should try Antar in this dimension first," Michael said, "We're already here."**

"**Yeah, but Pierce is still alive in this dimension. In our dimension, you killed him."**

"**That's true," Michael agreed… then he thought for awhile… "But, you know, Max, you never can tell about things… I mean, things aren't always what they look like. Remember… Quinn and the others were home once before and turned around and left because something looked wrong but turned out to be… you know… not what it looked like."**

**Max nodded. "You're right. We should visit Antar in this dimension while we're here… just to be thorough."**

"**Varec would approve," Michael said, smiling.**

**Max gave Michael a friendly shove and smiled.**

**It took four days to reach Antar. It would have taken a couple of more days, but Varec was always finding ways to increase the ship's speed and efficiency. As the planet came into sight, Max and Michael watched longingly, along with Liz and Maria, from the bridge.**

"**Every time I see Antar, I get this lump in my throat," Liz said softly, her voice catching, "Even when it's not ours. It just looks like home."**

**The others nodded.**

"**Take us closer," Max said to Michael, "We'll radio the control center for directions and make our final decision about visiting this Antar after we've made radio contact."**

**Michael nodded. Three minutes later, the ship approached the Antarian space controlled zone, still a few thousand miles out, and Max suddenly gasped and sat bolt upright.**

"**Max! What's wrong?" Michael asked, setting the ship on automatic and jumping up to check on him. Max stood there, his eyes staring at the planet below, his face white.**

"**Max?" Liz said, feeling Max's head and holding his hand to make sure that he was alright. As soon as she touched his hand, she let out a cry and froze, then tears started to flow down her cheeks.**

"**Liz? Are you okay? What's the matter, chica?" Maria asked. She hadn't used that word in years… She wasn't sure why she did now.**

"**We're home," Liz said, "The jah-ees are welcoming Max back. They have that mental connection."**

"**All the Antars we visited… I never once thought about that," Max said, shaking in spite of all attempts not to, "I never felt the connection to the jah-ees on any of them. On one Antar, I contacted them myself, but that pre-existing, sort of automatic connection I have with our jah-ees wasn't there. A moment ago, it flooded through me like a light coming on…" Max turned to the others and smiled… "We're home."**

**As soon as Max said it, cheers went up all over the ship, and the word spread like a wild fire. "Home." The word sounded too good to be true! Minutes later, Alex was walking around passing out party hats, noise makers, and eggnog. Isabel laughed. "Where in the world did you find these, Alex?"**

"**I picked them up back on Quinn and Wade's earth. I figured we'd use them, with New Years Eve coming up. But now we've got something to really celebrate! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! We'll pop the champagne when we land. I don't want Michael and Max to crash the ship. The eggnog's off the grocery store shelf. It's not spiked."**

**Everyone laughed and held up their glasses, as Alex poured eggnog for them, and at that moment, the jah-ees arrived, looping and spinning joyously around the New Granolith as it entered Antar's atmosphere. Max held up his glass in a toast to his old friends…**

"**Happy New Year, my friends… I'm glad to be home."**

**It was a sentiment that was echoed and reechoed all over the bridge, because by now EVERYONE was on the bridge… **

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**The voices were almost drowned out in the noise and the cheers, but the sentiments were felt in the heart… **

**WE'RE HOME!**

**>>>>> Epilogue >>>>>**

**Wade turned on her computer… **

"**You have mail!" the mechanical voice proclaimed happily. **

**Scanning through the list quickly, Wade sighed. "759,521 emails… all spam, I'm guessing, from while we were gone."**

**Quinn smiled. "Use the spam monster I installed for you before we left."**

**Wade nodded and clicked the key… "That did it. Now I have one email and 759,520 spam messages. She clicked the key again, and the spams disappeared into the mouth of a ravenous spam beast that ripped them apart, chewed them up, and swallowed them with gusto… something Quinn had dreamed up.**

**Wade raised her eyebrows slightly, as she opened the single valid email, and a smile came over her face…**

"**Hi Wade! We took your advice. It was something of a challenge to find you in a different dimension, but we did it. Thanks for the idea. It's cool! We would love to hear from you." RahnWWAntar**

**>>>>> The End >>>>>**

**Travel with Max and the others to Antar to witness the emotional reunions with their children and families. Just hop on the New Granolith with them and zip over to chapter 67 of _The Four Faces Of Rath, _"Out Of A Nightmare." You haven't read the whole story till you've been there for the reunion! **


End file.
